**** 


I 


The  Liitle  Geimun  Drummer-Hoy. 

Krontispikck. 


THE 

LITTLE  GERMAN 
DRUMMER  BO 


PHILADELPHIA  : 
PERKINPINE  &  HIGGINS, 
No.  56  North  Fourth  Street. 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Arcliive 
in  2013 


http://archive.org/details/littlegermandrum01duke 


CONTENTS. 


tee 


THE  DKUMMER  BOY. 

OHAPIER  '  PAOX 

I.  The  Sick  CMld   7 

11.  The  Billetting   16 

III.  The  AflFectionate  Son   29 

IV.  Augustus  a  Drummer   39 

V.  A  Soldier's  Life   45 

VL  Hardships   58 

VII.  The  Grand  Army   65 

VIII.  The  Burning  of  the  Mill   69 

tX.  Augustus  is  Shot   79 

X.  Augustus'  Combat  with  Himself,  a  Wolf,  and  a  Dog.  91 

XI.  The  Surprise   101 

XII.  The  Battle   112 

XIII.  The  Grand  Calamity   127 

XIV.  The  Retreat   134 

3 


4  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  PAOX 

XV.  The  Passage  of  the  Berezina   161 

XVL  The  Return   160 

XVII.  The  Conclusion   165 


THE  BOATSWAIN'S  SON. 

I.  The  Battle   171 

II.  Promotion  and  a  Cruise   178 

III.  The  Shipwreck   188 

IV.  Captain  Ripley  and  Alice  Verner   199 

V.  Rapid  Promotion   209 

VI.  Conclusion   214 


The  present  tale  has  been  translated  from 

the  German  of  Gustav  Moritz.    Its  design  is 

to  inculcate  the  duty  of  self-sacrifice  in  the 

most  trying  circumstances  of  life. 

1  *  6 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE  SICK  CHILD. 

The  story  we  are  going  to  tell  refers  to  the 
period  when  Europe  was  in  a  state  of  general 
warfare;  when  French  armies  covered  almost 
every  country  on  the  continent.  Great  Britain,  ' 
by  being  an  island  in  the  ocean,  was  happily 
exempted  from  the  calamities  of  that  terrible 
war.  At  a  vast  expense  it  defended  itself  by 
its  ships.  Thus  saved  from  invasion,  the  people 
in  the  towns  and  villages  of  England  knew  only 
of  war  by  report.  How  different  the  fate  of  the 
inhabitants  of  those  towns  on  the  continent, 
who  continually,  and  without  warning,  suffered 
from  the  violence  of  soldiers !  "When  a  regi- 
ment entered  a  town,  it  took  possession  of  the 
houses  of  the  people  of  all  ranks ;  who,  to  save 
their  lives,  gave  up  everything  that  was  de- 

7 


8 


THE  DRUMxMER  BOY. 


manded.  Frequently,  however,  the  people  were 
killed  from  a  mere  spirit  of  mischief,  and  their 
children  maltreated  or  carried  off.  It  was  on  an 
occasion  of  this  kind  that  the  following  inci- 
dents took  place. 

Emily  Werner,  a  little  girl  of  about  six  years 
of  age,  was  the  daughter  of  a  tradesman  in  a 
certain  town  in  Germany.  At  the  time  of  which 
we  write  she  was  very  ill.  A  violent  fever  had 
attacked  her,  and  there  was  scarcely  any  hope 
of  her  recovery.  Her  parents  w^atched  alter- 
nately by  her  bedside,  their  hearts  full  of 
anguish,  and  offering  up  many  but  silent 
prayers  for  the  preservation  of  their  darling 
child.  Five  mournful  nights  had  passed  in 
this  manner,  and  now  the  sixth  had  arrived. 
The  room  in  which  Emily  lay,  w^as  lighted  only 
by  the  dim  gleams  of  a  night-lamp,  and  even 
before  this  was  placed  a  large  book,  to  prevent 
the  glare  from  disturbing  the  invalid.  In  an 
arm-chair  close  beside  the  bed,  the  patient 
mother  was  seated,  anxiously  watching  the 
slightest  movement  of  the  sick  child.  The 
mother's  weary  eyes  w^re  unrefreshed  by  sleep — 
such  love  and  anxiety  as  a  parent  alone  can  feel 
kept  her  still  awake. 


THE  SICK  CHILD. 


9 


As  the  town  clock  struck  the  midnight  hour 
her  husband  entered  the  sick  room.  He  noise- 
lessly walked  up,  and  inquired  in  a  low  voice, 
"Is  there  yet  any  change  for  the  better?" 

A  sorrowful  shake  of  the  head  was  the  only 
answer  he  received.  She  pointed  to  the  poor 
child,  who  was  tossing  from  side  to  side ;  her 
little  cheeks  burning  with  fever,  and  her  breath- 
ing rapid,  but  difficult.  For  a  few  minutes  the 
father  looked  at  his  child  without  speaking; 
then  turning  to  his  wife,  he  whispered,  "Do  go 
and  take  a  little  rest:  it  is  my  turn  to  watch 
now." 

"  No,"  answered  Madame  Werner,  "  I  could 
not  sleep  even  if  I  were  to  lie  down ;  and  I  feel 
only  more  anxious  when  I  am  not  beside  my 
poor  child." 

"  But  remember  your  ow^n  health,"  returned 
her  husband  ;  "  you  cannot  go  on  thus ;  and  the 
end  of  it  will  be,  that  I  shall  have  to  nurse  two 
invalids  instead  of  one.  Do  follow  my  exam- 
ple." 

"  Never  fear  for  me,"  said  the  mother.  "  Rest 
is  more  necessary  for  you  than  for  me.  You 
have  to  spend  your  days  in  laboring  hard  for 
us,  and  if  your  nights  are  passed  in  watching, 
you  will  soon  be  unable  to  work.    Ah !  these  are 


10 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


evil  times  indeed.  The  poor  are  obliged  to  do 
double  their  usual  work,  and  incur  double  their 
ordinary  fatigue,  to  meet  the  unjust  demands 
that  are  made  upon  them.  It  is  too  bad  that 
we  should  have  so  many  soldiers  quartered 
upon  us.  To-day,  again,  there  are  twenty 
Frenchmen  assigned  to  us.  They  must  have 
food,  and  how  are  we  to  provide  it?  But  I 
should  care  little  for  this  if  only  our  precious 
Emily  were  out  of  danger.  She,  after  all,  is 
my  chief  anxiety." 

"And  mine,  too,"  said  Werner,  with  a  deep 
sigh,  while  he  again  tried  to  persuade  his  wife 
to  take  some  rest.  But  all  was  in  vain;  and 
she  at  length  prevailed  upon  him  to  return  to 
his  bed.  Gradually,  however,  in  spite  of  her 
determination,  the  affectionate  mother  sank  into 
a  deep  sleep:  her  head  fell  back  on  the  arm- 
chair, and  she  forgot  in  peaceful  slumber  both 
her  present  and  her  expected  troubles. 

"Pray  give  me  some  drink,"  the  sick  child 
suddenly  called  out;  but  for  once  her  request 
was  not  attended  to — the  over-wearied  mother 
did  not  hear. 

"Some  drink,  if  you  please,"  repeated  Emily, 
in  a  louder  voice.  But  still  her  mother  did  not 
move,  and  the  poor  little  girl  began  to  cry. 


THE  SICK  CHILD.  11 

Just  then  the  door  opened,  and  her  brother 
Augustus,  a  youth  of  about  fourteen  years  of 
age,  entered  half-dressed. 

"  Gently,  dear  Emily,"  he  said  in  a  soothing 
voice :  "  I  will  give  you  something  to  drink." 
He  took  a  cup  of  tea  from  the  top  of  the  night- 
lamp,  where  it  was  placed  that  it  might  keep 
warm  for  the  child.  But  poor  Emily,  rendered 
peevish  by  her  sufferings,  was  not  satisfied. 
"I  want  mother  to  give  it  to  me,"  she  said, 
half  crying. 

"Dear  Emily,"  her  brother  gently  said, 
"mother  cannot — she  is  asleep.  See,  poor 
mother  is  so  tired — so  very  tired.  She  has 
watched  by  you  for  six  nights,  and  even  now 
she  has  not  left  you ;  she  still  sits  in  the  arm- 
chair.   Now  drink." 

The  child  eagerly  swallowed  the  tea,  and  then 
threw  herself  back  on  her  little  bed.  Augustus 
sat  down  by  her  side,  that  he  might  be  ready  to 
get  anything  she  might  want. 

"Will  you  sing  to  me?"  asked  Emily;  and 
Augustus  sang  gently  the  favorite  ballad  that 
had  often  lulled  them  to  sleep,  when  it  was  sung 
by  their  mother's  sweet  voice;  but  sleep  was  far 
from  poor  Emily  now;  and  at  length,  over- 
powered by  the  heat  and  the  restlessness  occa- 


12 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


sioned  by  her  disorder,  she  attempted  to  throw 
the  clothes  off  the  bed. 

^'O,  Emily,  you  must  not  uncover  yourself. 
You  will  catch  cold  and  then  you  will  be  worse. 
Put  your  foot  in  bed  again,  and  let  me  cover  it 
up."  Then  he  carefully  tucked  the  bedclothes 
round  the  little  one,  and  for  a  few  minutes  she 
lay  still ;  till,  tormented  with  thirst,  she  begged 
him  to  give  her  some  water.  Augustus  took 
the  chill  oflP  the  water  over  the  lamp,  and  then 
gave  it  to  her.  In  this  manner  the  night  passed 
away.  The  poor  little  girl  could  not  sleep ;  and 
if  she  did  shut  her  eyes  for  a  few  minutes,  she 
suddenly  opened  them,  and  became  fractious  and 
restless. 

Augustus  was  unwearied  in  rearranging  the 
bedclothes,  smoothing  her  pillow,  giving  her  re- 
freshment, and  singing  her  favorite  little  song. 
Throughout  the  whole  time  their  mother  con- 
tinued to  sleep. 

As  the  morning  began  to  dawn,  Emily  be- 
came rather  more  calm ;  the  fever  in  her  cheeks 
gave  place  to  a  deadly  paleness;  her  eyes  re- 
mained shut  for  a  longer  time;  she  breathed 
more  slowly  and  more  heavily.  Deep  stillness 
now  reigned  in  the  sick-room;  the  night-lamp 
flickered  unsteadily  for  some  time,  and  at  length 


THE  SICK  CHILD. 


13 


threatened  to  be  totally  extinguished;  the  morn- 
ing breeze  shook  the  shutters  on  the  neighbor- 
ing houses,  and  sighed  and  groaned  in  such  a 
ghostly  fashion,  that  the  boy  was  quite  uneasy. 
The  chill  of  the  morning  air  added  to  his  dis- 
comfort, but  still  he  did  not  forsake  his  post. 
With  trembling  lips  he  continued  to  sing  in  a 
low  voice — 

"Angels  watch  thee  in  thy  sleep, 
Gently  close  thine  eyes ; 
Sleep,  dear  Emily ;  sweetly  sleep ; 
Lullaby— oh  lullaby  \" 

Whilst  he  was  thus  anxiously  watching  his 
little  sister,  as  she  lay  still  as  death,  her  eyes 
closed,  and  her  breathing  hardly  perceptible,  the 
thought  that  perhaps  they  would  never  open 
again  fell  like  a  leaden  weight  on  his  heart. 
A  deep  melancholy  overwhelmed  him  ;  his 
throat  became  parched,  his  brow  flushed,  and 
his  mind  agitated.  At  length,  relieved  by  a 
flood  of  tears,  he  began  to  sob  bitterly.  Emily 
was  a  general  favorite,  and  dearly  loved  by  the 
whole  family ;  she  was  always  full  of  merri- 
ment and  intelligence.  There  was  an  inexpres- 
sible charm  in  every  word,  every  smile,  every 
step,  and  every  glance  of  the  dear  child.  "And 
now,"  thought  Augustus,  "  will  that  little  mouth 

2 


14 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


be  silent  forever?  Shall  we  never  see  again 
the  merry  dimple  enliven  her  tiny  face  ?  Will 
that  blue  eye  never  smile  again?  And  must 
our  darling  Emily  be  laid  in  the  dark  coffin 
instead  of  her  curtained  cradle-bed?"  Poor 
boy !  he  was  very  wretched  as  he  thought  of  all 
these  things. 

His  mother  was  roused  from  her  slumbers  by 
the  clock  striking  five.  "  Alas !  "  she  cried,  very 
much  alarmed,  "  what  have  I  done  ?  Unhappy 
mother,  I  have  neglected  my  child ! "  She 
wrung  her  hands  as  she  looked  at  the  pale  form 
that  lay  beside  her. 

"  Dear  mother,"  said  Augustus,  concealing 
his  tears,  "do  not  be  alarmed.  I  have  been 
here,  and  have  taken  care  of  Emily." 

"  Ah ! "  returned  Madame  Werner,  still  in 
great  distress ;  "  but  have  you  been  all  the 
time?  I  cannot  remember  when  I  fell  asleep.; 
and  if  poor  little  Emily  should  have  uncovered 
herself,  and  taken  a  chill,  owing  to  my  forget- 
fulness,  what  may  be  the  consequences?" 

But  Augustus  was  able  to  relieve  his  mother 
from  this  anxiety,  and  she  thankfully  embraced 
her  son. 

"  Your  thoughtfulness,"  she  said,  "  has  saved 
me  from  much  unhappiness,  my  dear  boy.  I 


THE  SICK  CHILD. 


15 


should,  indeed,  have  been  miserable  had  my 
little  daughter  taken  injury  through  my  inat- 
tention.   Thank  you,  dear  Augustus." 

Augustus  was  delighted  at  having  so  relieved 
his  mother's  mind.  "Ah,  mother,"  he  said, 
"  have  you  not  often  watched  for  many  a  long 
night  by  my  bedside  ?  And  how  slight  is  the 
return  that  I  have  now  been  able  to  make  to 
you,  by  watching  a  few  hours  over  our  dear 
Emily!" 

Then  leaving  his  parent,  refreshed  by  her 
slumber,  to  attend  to  the  duties  of  the  sick- 
room, he  went  to  finish  dressing  himself ;  and 
then  labored  to  give  every  assistance  in  provid- 
ing for  the  soldiers  that  were  to  be  billetted  upon 
them. 


16 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE  BILLETTING. 

"  I  SHOULD  like  to  be  a  soldier,"  said  Eobert, 
the  youngest  of  the  family,  to  his  sister  Bertha 
Werner,  a  little  girl  of  nine  years  of  age.  She 
was  engaged  at  the  time  in  putting  a  white 
cloth  on  the  long  table,  and  preparing  it  for  the 
soldier.  "They  get  such  capital  dinners," 
resumed  the  boy.  "Why,  they  get  Sunday 
dinners  every  day.  There  is  such  a  beautiful 
joint  of  roast  veal  in  the  kitchen  that  mother 
has  got  ready  for  them.  It  is  as  brown  as  a 
nut,  and  I  cannot  tell  you  half  the  good  things 
I  saw  when  I  peeped  in.  I  never  saw  such  a 
large  dish  of  salad  before  !  There  is  nothing  I 
like  so  much.  I  only  hope  Mr.  Frenchman 
will  leave  some  for  me. 

"  And  the  new  bread ! "  added  Bertha.  "  How 
nice  and  white  it  looks ;  and  five  whole  pounds 
of  fresh  butter !  I  am  sure  they  ought  to  thank 
father  and  mother  very  much  for  spending  such 


THE  BILLETTING. 


17 


a  great  deal  of  money,  and  taking  so  much 
trouble  for  them." 

"  Do  you  know,"  continued  little  Robert,  "  I 
saw  a  number  of  cream  cheeses  too?  They 
must  be  very  greedy  if  they  can  manage  to  eat 
all." 

The  two  children  were  suddenly  interrupted 
by  a  noise  in  the  street. 

"Here  they  come — here  they  come!"  cried 
Bertha,  as  she  looked  out  of  the  window.  It 
was  true  they  were  coming ;  and  very  soon  wea- 
pons clanked  as  the  troop  halted  and  grounded 
arms.  Soon  after,  heavy  footsteps  were  heard 
on  the  staircase.    The  children  then  ran  away. 

The  strange  soldiers  now  took  possession  of 
the  apartment  that  was  pointed  out  to  them. 
They  appeared  quite  at  their  ease  ;  threw  aside 
their  knapsacks  and  muskets,  their  greatcoats 
and  swords,  without  ceremony ;  and  very  soon 
the  unbidden  guests  had  visited  every  room  in 
the  house  to  which  they  could  gain  access, 
whistling,  singing,  and  talking  as  if  they  were 
at  home. 

In  the  meantime  the  servant-girl  and  one  of 
Werner's  journeymen  covered  the  table  with  the 
food  which  had  been  prepared  for  the  soldiers. 
Robert  was  not  quite  free  from  envy  as  the 
2  *  B 


18 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


smoking  soups,  the  roast  veal,  and  the  salad 
were  carried  past  him.  It  fell  to  the  lot  of 
Augustus  to  assemble  the  scattered  soldiers  to 
their  meal.  He  had  some  little  knowledge  of 
French,  and  he  was  therefore  able  to  inform 
them  in  their  own  tongue  that  dinner  was  ready. 

The  soldiers  were  not  slow  to  answer  the 
summons ;  and  as  soon  as  Werner  found,  from 
the  clatter  of  knives  and  plates,  that  they  were 
occupied,  he  and  his  wife  withdrew,  with  the 
children,  into  the  sick-room,  which  for  the  time 
they  were  obliged  to  use  as  a  sitting-room. 

All  at  once  they  heard  a  great  uproar  among 
their  guests.  Their  voices  were  so  loud,  and  so 
deafening,  that  only  by  the  terrible  words  with 
which  they  interlarded  their  speeches  could  it 
be  distinguished  that  they  were  angry  and  in- 
furiated. It  seemed  as  if  they  were  breaking 
the  windows.  Jugs  and  glasses  were  then 
thrown  into  the  street,  followed  by  still  heavier 
articles.  Werner  hastily  left  the  room ;  but  his 
wife  contented  herself  with  looking  out  of  the 
window  to  ascertain  the  cause  of  the  tumult. 
It  was  a  sad  sight  for  the  poor  woman. 
Pots  foaming  with  beer  were  hurled  through 
the  windows  of  the  room  occupied  by  the 
Frenchmen,  accompanied  every  now  and  then 


THE  BILLETTING. 


19 


by  huge  pieces  of  cheese,  joints  of  meat,  and 
bowls  of  salad,  while  loaves  of  bread  fell  like 
mill-stones  on  the  pavement.  Poor  Robert  wept 
from  mingled  feelings  of  anger  and  grief  as  he 
recognized  in  the  middle  of  the  street,  sur- 
rounded by  the  broken  jugs  and  dishes,  the  veal 
that  he  had  so  much  wished  to  taste,  almost  con- 
cealed by  his  favorite  salad.  The  weeping  maid 
ran  out  to  endeavor,  if  possible,  to  save  some  of 
the  good  things,  and  was  met  by  her  master, 
who  entered  just  in  time  to  save  his  assistant 
from  being  kicked  out  of  doors. 

Such  a  scene  was  sufficient  to  have  excited 
the  best-tempered  man.  Both  Werner  and 
his  assistant  were  exceedingly  enraged.  They 
clenched  their  fists,  and  would  willingly  have 
vented  their  anger  upon  the  offenders.  But 
they  were  wise  enough  to  restrain  themselves, 
seeing  how  vain  it  would  be  for  two  men  to 
attack  twenty,  and  those  all  armed  with  deadly 
weapons. 

"Augustus,"  at  length  \yerner  called  out  in 
an  angry  voice,  "be  quick;  run  to  head- 
quarters, and  just  tell  how  these  rascals  are  be- 
having themselves.  Beg  some  of  the  officers  to 
come  over  immediately." 

Augustus  obeyed.    During  his  absence  the 


20 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


uproar  became  still  greater,  so  that  Werner  and 
his  people  did  not  venture  to  show  themselves. 
After  some  time,  Augustus  came  back,  quite  out 
of  breath,  but — alone. 

"How  is  this?"  asked  his  father  eagerly. 
"  How  is  it  that  no  officer  has  come  back  with 
you?" 

"Ah,  father,"  answered  Augustus,  "  it  is  use- 
less to  expect  help  from  them.  The  only  answer 
I  could  get  to  my  complaint  and  urgent  peti- 
tion was  this — '  They  could  not  interfere  with  a 
troop  of  soldiers  for  such  nonsense ;  the  men 
had  had  a  severe  march,  and  they  had  a  right 
to  expect  good  entertainment  after  it.'  The 
gentleman  then  turned  away,  and  would  not 
listen  to  anything  farther  that  I  had  to  say. 
And,  father,  what  do  you  think  I  have  seen 
besides  ? — it  is  quite  terrible !  A  great  number 
of  Rhenish  soldiers  have  just  entered  the  town 
— Bader  street  is  full  of  them.  A  number  of 
loaves  had  been  divided  amongst  them,  that 
they  might  have  something  to  eat  till  they 
could  be  billetted.  And  what  do  you  think 
these  wicked  men  were  doing  ?  They  had  laid 
the  loaves  in  a  row  along  the  dirty  street,  and 
were  walking  on  them,  laughing  as  they  went, 
for  they  said  that  was  the  way  to  keep  their 


THE  BILLETTING. 


21 


boots  clean.  Some  of  the  men  even  took  all 
the  crumb  of  the  loaves  away,  and  putting  their 
feet  into  them,  they  then  walked  about  in  the 
mud.  How  impious  to  misuse  the  gifts  of  God 
in  this  way ! " 

The  parents  and  children  stood  amazed  at 
this  narration.  At  last  Werner  said,  "  Well,  if 
our  own  countrymen  act  in  this  manner,  we 
cannot  be  surprised  that  foreigners  should  be- 
have no  better." 

"  Right  enough,"  added  his  wife;  "  therefore, 
dear  husband,  be  calm,  and  let  us  make  the 
best  of  it.  Shall  we  go  and  ask  what  the 
Frenchmen  have  to  complain  of  in  the  food  that 
we  have  prepared  for  them  ?  It  is  better  that 
we  should  come  to  an  understanding  with  them, 
than  that  they  should  ill-treat  us,  and  destroy 
everything.  It  seems  as  if,  in  the  midst  of  all 
this  trouble,  God  was  about  to  gladden  our 
hearts.  Just  look  at  our  dear  little  Emily ;  what 
a  change  there  is  in  her  for  the  better !  She 
sleeps  now  quite  soundly  and  peacefully.  She 
breathes  softly,  and  that  fearful  restlessness  has 
entirely  disappeared.  The  doctor,  too,  gives  us 
hope  of  seeing  her  restored.  He  says  that  the 
dear  child  has  got  over  the  worst,  and  that 
there  is  little  danger  now.    We  must  only  take 


22 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


care  that  she  is  not  suddenly  roused  out  of  this 
sleep.  Is  not  this  news  worth  a  thousandfold 
more  than  the  few  crow^ns  that  you  are  com- 
pelled to  waste  upon  these  covetous  stran- 
gers?" 

"You  are  right,  my  love,"  said  her  husband 
as  he  stepped  up  to  the  couch  of  his  child,  and 
thankfully  w^atched  her  peaceful  slumbers. 
With  a  cheerful  face  he  then  took  a  further 
sum  from  his  hardly-earned  savings,  in  order  to 
purchase  more  wine,  meal,  and  bread,  that  he 
might  be  able  to  pacify  his  discontented  guests. 

Just  then  a  new  trouble  came.  The  maid 
announced  another  arrival  of  soldiers,  and  at 
the  same  minute  the  yard  was  filled  with  these 
unwelcome  visitors. 

"A  drummer,  with  fifteen  men,  from  the 
Rhenish  troops,  have  come  here  for  quarters," 
said  the  girl,  as  with  a  trembling  hand  she  gave 
the  quartering  billet  to  her  horrified  master. 

His  poor  wife  clasped  her  hands.  "  Alas ! 
have  we  not  yet  trouble  enough  ?  Must  we 
still  endure  fresh  misfortunes  ?" 

But  it  was  no  use  lamenting;  something 
must  be  quickly  arranged,  for  the  German  sol- 
diers were  impatient  to  occupy  their  apartment. 

"  Show  them  into  the  workshop,"  Werner  or- 


THE  BILLETTING. 


23 


dered,  after  a  little  consideration.  "  1  had 
rather  give  the  workmen  a  holiday  than  that 
the  life  of  my  sick  child  should  be  endan- 
gered." 

In  the  meantime  his  wife  desired  Bertha  and 
Robert  to  take  care  of  Emily,  whilst  she  hur- 
ried into  the  kitchen  to  make  a  few  hasty  pre- 
parations for  the  entertainment  of  the  new- 
comers. 

While  engaged  in  her  household  cares,  she 
heard  the  approach  of  heavy  footsteps  and  the 
sound  of  angry  voices.  She  listened :  it  was 
evident  to  her  that  the  soldiers  were  pressing 
into  the  sick-room.  She  listened  no  longer,  but 
like  an  arrow  she  rushed  out  to  protect  her  be- 
loved child.  Led  by  the  drummer,  the  soldiers 
had  noisily  entered  the  sick-room  just  as  she 
reached  the  door.  As  soon  as  the  drummer 
perceived  her,  he  said  in  a  rude  voice,  "  Do  you 
fools  imagine  us  to  be  dogs,  that  you  may  push 
into  any  hole  you  please  ?  I  can  tell  you  you 
are  just  wrong  there.  A  pretty  thing  indeed! 
The  French  are  to  have  the  best  room,  while  we 
Germans  are  to  be  put  off  with  the  workshop ! 
Or,  forsooth,  if  we  are  not  satisfied  with  that 
we  may  sit  down  in  the  yard  !  What !  are  those 
good-for-nothing  fellows  to  be  treated  better 


24 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


than  we  are  ?  Did  not  we  shed  our  blood  for 
you  in  battle  ?  A  fine  return  you  are  making 
us !  I'll  tell  you  what,  comrades,  we  will  remain 
here ;  and,  welcome  or  not,  they  shall  not  drive 
us  out." 

"  Oh,  good  people,"  implored  the  poor  mother 
in  a,  suppressed  but  earnest  voice,  "  have  mercy 
upon  my  sick  child !  This  is  the  first  time  for 
six  days  that  she  has  slept  quietly.  I  beseech 
you  to  keep  still,  and  Tie  will  do  all  you  wish. 
Is  there  not  a  father  among  you  who  can  under- 
stand and  feel  for  me  ?  Have  none  of  you  left 
a  dear  little  child  at  home  that  you  would  like 
to  see  ?  Oh,  I  do  not  think  that  you  will  kill 
my  darling !" 

While  she  was  thus  speaking,  her  trembling 
hands  were  employed  in  relieving  the  soldiers  of 
their  weapons  and  knapsacks,  and  placing  them 
as  noiselessly  as  possible  in  a  corner  of  the  room. 
She  then  repeated  her  request,  that  they  would 
spare  the  sick  child;  desired  the  two  little 
watchers  not  to  forsake  their  post;  and  then 
hastened  back  into  the  kitchen. 

For  some  time  the  soldiers  remained  tolerably 
quiet.  They  placed  chairs  at  the  large  table, 
and  conversed  with  each  other.  At  length, 
however,  the  fierce  drummer  became  impatient ; 


I 


THE  BILLETTING. 


25 


he  thought  the  dinner  ought  to  make  its  appear- 
ance. For  a  short  time  he  contented  himself 
with  muttering  between  his  teeth,  but  he  soon 
broke  out  into  loud  expressions  of  anger. 

"  What  are  these  lazy  folks  doing,  that  they 
don't  bring  us  something  to  eat  ?  I  suppose 
they  have  been  busy  picking  up  what  was 
thrown  into  the  streets,  that  they  may  dish  it 
up  again,  and  set  it  before  us.  I  suspected  the 
cross-grained  old  woman  as  soon  as  they  thrust 
us  into  that  hole  of  a  shop.  Stay  :  I'll  hasten 
her  a  bit.  It's  very  well  I  know  her  weak 
side." 

As  he  said  this,  he  cast  a  wrathful  glance  at 
the  innocent  child,  who  still  lay  in  a  sweet  sleep, 
notwithstanding  his  loud  talking.  Bertha  and 
Robert  stood  beside  the  sick-bed  like  two  guar- 
dian angels.  They  watched  the  angry  soldier 
with  timid  looks  as  they  noticed  the  mischief 
that  lightened  out  of  his  gray  eyes.  Both  of 
the  children  turned  pale  as  they  saw  him  push 
his  chair  close  to  Emily's  couch,  and  then  lay 
hold  of  the  drum.  Fear  deprived  them  of  power 
of  utterance ;  but  they  folded  their  slender  arms 
as  well  as  they  could  over  the  little  sleeper,  and 
their  terrified  looks  implored  mercy  from  the 
barbarian.    But  the  drummer  either  could  not 

3 


26 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


or  would  not  understand  this  silent  but  eloquent 
language  of  the  eyes.  AYith  a  diabolical  smile 
he  placed  the  drum  between  his  legs,  and  rais- 
ing the  drumsticks,  he  said  deridingly,  "It 
won't  quite  kill  the  innocent  if  I  do  help  her 
mother  on  her  legs." 

Those  who  read  this  narrative  will  be  ready 
to  suppose  that  what  I  am  now  about  to  relate 
is  mere  fiction.  Would  that  it  were  so !  But 
alas !  it  is  too  true.  It  is  one  amongst  many  of 
the  horrors  occasioned  by  war. 

Little  Emily  continued  to  slumber  peacefully, 
though  the  wretch  was  watching  her.  Her 
tiny  hands  were  folded  over  her  breast.  She 
breathed  softly  through  her  parted  lips ;  and 
returning  health  had  recalled  a  tinge  of  rose- 
color  to  her  cheeks.  The  luxuriant  curls  fell 
around  her  face.  All  this  the  fierce  stranger 
saw ;  he  saw,  too,  those  loving  eyes  that  gazed 
imploringly  in  inexpressible  agony ;  and  yet  this 
did  not  restrain  his  ruthless  hands  from  beating 
a  thundering  tattoo  on  the  drum.  A  cry  of 
agony  burst  from  the  lips  of  the  brother  and 
sister  as  the  drum  sounded.  Poor  little  Emily 
appeared  almost  convulsed.  She  opened  wide 
her  blue  eyes,  and  gazed  with  alarm  at  the 
strange  fierce  man  whose  hands  had  called  forth 


i 


THE  BILLETTING. 


27 


those  fearful  tones.  The  blood  forsook  her 
face:  and  the  struggles  of  death  began.  At 
that  moment  the  door  opened,  and,  like  a  lioness 
robbed  of  her  young,  the  pooi*  mother  rushed 
into  the  room.  Her  senses  seemed  leaving  her ; 
a  deadly  paleness  overspread  her  countenance ; 
her  hair  hung  loose;  and  her  eye  rolled 
wildly.  But  she  was  unable  to  utter  a  sound. 
She  seized  the  drummer,  and  her  strength 
appeared  almost  superhuman ;  for  the  man, 
strong  and  athletic  as  he  was,  could  not  re- 
lease himself  from  her  murderous  grasp.  But 
at  that  moment  she  glanced  at  her  child — 
the  dying  Emily.  She  let  the  wretch  go, 
and  raised  the  panting  child  from  the  bed, 
that  she  might  have  air.  The  hot  tears  fell 
upon  the  now  fixed  face  of  her  darling;  she 
kissed  the  cold  blue  lips ;  she  called  the  little 
one  by  all  her  most  endearing  names ;  but  in 
vain — life  was  too  far  gone,  and  in  a  few  min- 
utes poor  Emily  breathed  her  last.  Madame 
Werner,  overwhelmed  with  grief,  clasped  the 
lifeless  remains  of  her  child  to  her  bosom,  and 
with  a  heart-rending  cry  sank  unconscious  upon 
the  floor.  The  drummer  fell  also,  thrust  through 
by  the  father's  hand.  Werner  had  entered  the 
room  soon  after  his  wife,  and  in  this  manner 


28  THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 

had  punished  the  murderer.  The  soldiers  closed 
round,  and  at  length  managed  to  disarm  and 
overpower  him.  They  then  bound  him,  and 
took  him  away  as  a  prisoner.  ^ 


THE  AFFECTIONATE  SON. 


29 


4 


CHAPTEH  III. 

THE  AFFECTIONATE  SON. 

Three  days  after  the  octurrences  had  taken 
place  which  were  narrated  in  the  last  chapter,  a 
man  was  observed  to  come  out  of  Mr.  Werner's 
door  at  a  very  early  hour.  He  was  habited  in 
a  large  black  mourning-cloak,  which  fell  over 
a  little  coffin  that  he  carried  before  him,  sup- 
ported by  a  broad  band  that  passed  around  the 
wearer's  neck.  A  woman  followed  him,  dressed 
in  deep  mourning,  with  a  white  hood  over  her 
head.  She  was  the  sextoness.  Lastly  came 
Werner's  three  children  —  Augustus,  Bertha, 
and  Robert.  Their  eyes  were  red  and  swollen, 
and  they  wept  bitterly  as  they  passed  along. 
The  little  procession  of  mourners  went  quietly 
through  the  almost  empty  streets  towards  a 
distant  burying-ground.  At  its  approach  the 
gate  was  swung  open  with  a  sound  that  jarred 
upon  their  ears.  But  as  they  entered  the  solemn 
abode  of  the  dead,  their  feelings  were  at  once 
soothed  and  solemnized  by  the  soft  rays  of  the 
3  * 


30 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


rising  sun  shining  upon  the  tomb-stones  with 
which  the  ground  was  covered. 

Threading  their  way  between  the  numberless 
graves,  the  mourners  directed  their  steps  to  one 
that  had  just  been  opened ;  and  here  the  bearer 
deposited  the  little  coffin.  The  ceremony  of 
interment  then  proceeded  amid  the  loud  sobs  of 
the  three  children;  whose  grief  at  the  loss  of 
Emily  was  probably  increased  by  a  recollection 
of  the  condition  of  their  father  and  mother  — 
one  in  a  prison  on  a  charge  of  murder,  the 
other  confined  to  bed  with  distress  of  body  and 
mind. 

For  several  days  nothing  could  be  heard  of 
the  fate  of  Werner.  Perhaps  the  necessity  for 
stirring  herself  to  take  charge  of  her  family 
caused  Madame  Werner  to  rise  from  bed  sooner 
than  she  would  otherwise  have  done.  Fortu- 
nately the  weather  was  fine,  and  she  was  able  to 
sit  in  an  easy  chair  outside  the  door,  where  she 
was  dutifully  attended  to  by  Augustus;  and 
even  AVatch,  the  house-dog,  was  faithfully  at 
his  post  beside  her. 

Meanwhile  Augustus  was  maturing  a  plan 
for  the  delivery  of  his  father,  who,  it  was 
reported,  was  to  be  shot  by  the  military.  One 
day  Bertha  asked,  him  what  he  was  thinking 


THE  AFFECTIONATE  SON. 


31 


SO  deeply  about?  He  replied  by  asking  her 
"  what  was  the  verse  the  clergyman  discoursed 
from  last  Sunday  ?  " 

Bertha  considered  for  a  moment,  and  then 
said,  "  It  was,  '  Ye  ought  also  to  lay  down  your 
lives  for  thp  brethren.'  " 

"  That  is  right,"  said  Augustus.  "  Don't  you 
understand  it  ?  We  are  to  '  lay  down  our  lives 
for  our  brethren ! '  How  much  more,  then,  for 
our  parent^  ?  "  He  stopped  for  a  few  minutes, 
apparently  striving  to  overcome  some  conflicting 
feelings;  then  he  added  calmly,  "Robert,  you 
may  have  both  my  turtle-doves  for  your  own ; 
but  take  care  of  them,  and  do  not  forget  to  give 
them  fresh  water  and  proper  food  every  day. 
There  is  a  large  paper  bag  in  my  box  full  of 
food  that  will  last  you  for  some  time.  You 
know  where  to  find  it  ?  " 

"  What !  "  cried  Robert,  "  will  you  indeed 
give  me  your  doves  ?  —  your  favorite  doves  ?  " 

"I  do  not  care  for  them  now,"  returned 
Augustus  sorrowfully.  "  Dear  Emily  is  dead ; 
and  our  father,  they  say,  will  be  shot  to-mor- 
row !  I  do  not  want  the  doves."  Then,  after 
a  short  pause,  "  If  mother  gets  well,  and  father 
is  set  free,  tell  them  not  to  be  angry  with  me. 
It  would  not  be  right  to  act  differently;  the 


32 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


Bible  says  so.  And,  Bertha,  repeat  the  verse 
to  them;  you  know  which  I  mean?  Then 
they  will  understand  it,  and  will  not  be  angry 
with  me." 

The  children  did  not  know  what  Angustns 
meant;  nor  was  he  disposed  to  explain  himself 
farther.  An  idea  had  awakened  in  his  mind, 
and  he  felt  that  he  had  a  duty  to  perform.  He 
resolved  that  he  would  try  to  save  his  father's 
life,  by  giving  up  his  own.  He  did  not  allow 
^himself  to  think.  In  a  fit  of  enthusiasm  he 
went  off  to  the  prison  to  see  his  father,  if  pos- 
sible, for  the  last  time. 

"Stand  back!"  said  the  sentry,  as  Augustus 
approached  the  entrance  of  the  prison  in  which 
Werner  was  confined. 

"  My  father  is  here,"  said  Augustus ;  "  may 
I  not  go  in  to  see  him  ?  " 

"  I  tell  you  to  stand  back,"  said  the  sentry  in 
a  harsh  voice. 

"  Oh  let  me  see  him,  if  only  for  a  moment !  " 
implored  the  boy,  while  he  could  no  longer 
restrain  his  tears ;  "  let  me  go  in ;  I  want  to 
bid  him  good-by." 

"  Stand  back ! "  repeated  the  stern  soldier. 
"  What  good  will  your  visit  do  him  ?  A  flask 
of  wine  now  would  be  of  much  more  use  than 


THE  AFFECTIONATE  SON.  33 

your  whimpering  and  whining.  Some  wine 
would  give  him  a  little  spirit  to  stand  fire ;  but 
your  seeing  him  would  take  away  the  little  bit 
of  courage  he  has  left." 

In  the  meantime  several  of  the  inhabitants 
had  gathered  round  to  hear  what  was  passing. 
Murmuring  voices  were  heard  to  exclaim, 
"Shameful — shameful!  not  to  suffer  the  poor 
child  to  embrace  his  father  once  more." 

"Ah,"  said  one,  "if  I  had  been  in  Werner's 
place,  I  would  have  done  just  the  same." 

"Let's  have  a  throw  at  the  hard-hearted  ras- 
(ial!"  said  another. 

"Knock  him  down — the  knave  I"  said  a 
third. 

The  soldier  became  rather  uneasy  as  he  found 
the  crowd  rapidly  increasing  round  him;  and 
at  length  he  said  in  a  milder  voice,  "My  orders 
are  very  strict  that  no  one  is  to  see  the  prisoner. 
If  the  boy  wishes  to  see  his  father,  let  him 
obtain  permission  from  the  colonel,  and  there 
will  then  be  no  difficulty." 

Accordingly  Augustus,  followed  by  the  crowd, 
went  to  head-quarters,  which  were  distinguished 
by  two  sentries  being  in  attendance.  The 
townsmen,  full  of  curiosity  to  see  what  would 
be  the  end  of  the  matter,  remained  before  the 
c 


34 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


house,  while  Augustus  entered.  He  was  shown 
into  a  large  room  full  of  officers.  Divided  into 
groups,  they  were  engaged  in  animated  conver- 
sation. No  notice  was  taken  of  the  poor  boy 
by  any  one,  and  he  tried  in  vain  to  discover 
which  was  the  colonel.  Suddenly  a  side  door 
opened.  The  officers  drew  back,  and  silently 
arranged  themselves  round.  An  officer,  evi- 
dently of  superior  rank,  and  adorned  with  a 
great  many  orders,  big,  burly,  and  red-faced 
in  appearance,  entered. 

Augustus  turned  pale  as  he  found  himself 
standing  alone  in  the  circle,  and  facing  the  for- 
midable colonel.  Still,  he  summoned  up  all  his 
courage ;  and  stepping  rather  nearer,  he  said  in 
a  firm  voice,  "  Oh,  sir,  the  Bible  says  we  ought 
to  die  for  our  brethren !  So  will  you  let  me  be 
shot  instead  of  my  poor  father  ?  " 

The  colonel,  astonished  at  this  unexpected 
request,  stepped  back.  Measuring  the  boy  from 
head  to  foot,  he  cried,  "How?  AYhat?  You 
wish  to  be  shot  ?  Nonsense  ! "  he  continued, 
laughing.  "What  do  you  mean,  you  foolish 
boy?" 

"  Oh,  sir,"  returned  Augustus,  while  the  tears 
ran  down  his  pale  cheeks  ;  "  I  do,  indeed,  meap 


THE  AFFECTIONATE  SON. 


35 


what  I  say ;  I  am,  indeed,  come  to  beg  you  to 
kill  me  instead  of  my  dear  father." 

The  colonel  now  became  serious.  He  listened 
attentively  as  the  poor  boy  described  in  the  most 
touching  manner  the  trouble  and  agony  of  his 
parents.  Both  the  colonel  and  his  officers  were 
indignant  and  ashamed  when  they  heard  of  the 
conduct  of  the  inhuman  drummer. 

When  the  interesting  story  was  finished,  the 
colonel  was  gloomy  and  silent  for  a  few  mo- 
ments; then  addressing  the  circle  round,  he 
said,  "This  is  a  peculiar  case,  and  one  very 
hard  to  deal  with.  It  would  be  a  bad  prece- 
dent if  I  were  to  let  the  boy's  father  off.  For 
the  safety  of  our  people,  it  is  necessary  that 
such  a  deed  should  not  go  unpunished.  But  if 
a  court-martial  should  be  held,  Werner  will 
surely  be  condemned  to  die,  especially  if  the 
drummer  should  not  recover ;  and  I  find  there 
is  little  hope  that  he  will.  On  the  other  hand, 
we  would  gladly  save  the  man,  were  it  only  for 
the  sake  of  his  noble  boy.  There  is  not  time 
enough  to  apply  for  pardon  from  his  majesty. 
In  two  days  the  regiment  must  march,  and  the 
drummer's  place  be  supplied.  Stay  —  an  idea 
occurs  to  me."  He  turned  to  Augustus,  who 
stood  trembling  to  hear  the  sentence  that  was 


36 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


to  decide  upon  life  and  death.  "Now,  my 
boy,"  asked  the  colonel,  "  have  you  fully  made 
up  your  mind  to  die  for  your  father  ?  Remem- 
ber it  is  easier  to  say  this  than  to  do  it.  You 
might  tell  a  different  tale  if  you  felt  the  cold 
leaden  bullets  cracking  your  bones  for  you." 
Here  he  looked  sharply  at  Augustus,  who 
evinced  by  his  manner  that  his  determination 
'  remained  unaltered.  "  Supposing,"  continued 
the  colonel,  "that  the  man  whom  your  father 
has  wounded  should  not  die  before  the  regiment 
marches,  I  can  perhaps  save  your  father  from 
being  shot.  But  in  that  case  you  must  take 
the  vacant  place  of  the  sick  drummer  in  my 
regiment,  and  march  away  with  us  in  two  days. 
Will  you,  and  dare  you  do  this  ?  " 

"  Must  I  become  a  drummer  ?"  cried  Augus- 
tus, clasping  his  hands  in  agony.  "  Oh  !  any- 
thing in  the  world  but  that !  I  should  never 
dare  to  appear  before  my  mother  again.  She 
"Would  hate  me.  It  was  a  drummer  who  killed 
dear  Emily.  Oh  no  !  no  !  —  indeed  I  cannot 
be  a  drummer !  " 

The  colonel  was  almost  angry.  "Did  one 
ever  hear  of  such  a  boy?"  he  said.  "  I  want 
to  do  him  a  kindness,  and  he  does  not  so  much 
as  thank  me  for  it.    Listen,  you  foolish  little 


THE  AFFECTIONATE  SOX.  *  37 

fellow !  I  did  not  think  you  were  so  stupid. 
If  you  suffer  yourself  to  be  shot,  you  most 
assuredly  will  never  see  your  mother  again. 
But  if  you  take  to  the  drum  and  the  uniform, 
you  are  as  much  her  son  as  ever.  Do  you 
suppose  your  father  would  ever  be  happy  again, 
or  thank  you  for  his  life,  if  he  gained  it  by 
your  death 

"Oh,  sir,"  said  poor  Augustus  in  great  dis- 
tress, "I  will  do  anything  to  save  my  dear 
father.  If  I  cannot  be  shot,  I  will  even  become 
a  drummer ! " 

The  colonel  and  his  officers  could  scarcely 
keep  from  laughing  at  the  boy's  speech,  but 
the  former  merely  said  in  reply,  "  Then  we  are 
agreed ;  only  you  must  understand  that  these 
are  the  conditions  :  In  the  first  place,  your 
father  cannot  be  set  at  liberty  until  the  drum- 
mer is  out  of  danger,  and  our  regiment  has 
marched  away  from  this  place.  Secondly,  you 
must  not  see  or  speak  to  your  father  again.  I 
have  the  best  reason  possible  for  requiring  this. 
Why  should  you  have  the  pain  of  taking  leave, 
when  there  is  no  occasion  for  it?  You  will 
therefore  remain  here.  I  give  you  in  charge  to 
my  old  sergeant,  Hoier,  who  Avill  stand  in  place 
of  father  to  you.    Take  care,  and  drum  away 


38 


THE  {)RUMMER  BOY. 


industriously  for  the  two  days  that  we  remain 
here,  so  that  you  may  not  fall  out  with  the 
other  drummers.'' 

The  thanks  Augustus  would  have  uttered 
died  upon  his  lips.  He  could  not  bear  the 
idea  of  taking  the  place  of  the  cruel  drummer 
who  had  murdered  his  sister.  Indeed,  with  his 
present  feelings,  he  would  rather  that  they  had 
taken  him  at  his  word,  and  suffered  him  at 
once  to  die  for  his  father. 


AUGUSTUS  A  DRUMMER. 


39 


CHAPTER  IV. 

AUGUSTUS  A  DRUMMER. 

Augustus  drummed  away  till  his  arms  ached. 
He  gave,  in  general,  great  satisfaction  to  his 
instructor.  But  occasionally  the  latter  was 
obliged  to  remind  him,  by  a  gentle  tap  on  the 
shoulders  with  the  drumstick,  that  he  could 
not  practice  well  if  he  was  so  lost  in  thought. 
The  poor  boy  would  then  pass  the  sleeve  of  his 
soldier's  coat  over  his  tearful  eyes,  and  drum 
away  again  in  real  earnest. 

When  he  accomplished  the  first  tattoo,  a 
feeling  of  horror  ran  through  his  frame.  He 
thought  of  his  murdered  sister,  and  of  his  poor 
mother  now  lying  at  the  point  of  death.  At 
length  the  dreaded  morning  arrived  on  which 
Augustus  was  to  march  off  with  the  regiment. 

The  old  sergeant  had  taken  an  early  oppor- 
tunity of  giving  Augustus  a  lesson  in  packing 
his  knapsack  in  the  most  judicious  manner. 
The  boy  listened  to  all  his  directions,  but 
scarcely  understood  them.    His  head  was  even 


40  THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 

fuller  than  the  knapsack  which  he  was  to  carry. 
Suddenly  the  sounds  of  the  general  march  were 
heard  in  the  street.  As  Augustus  was  a  novice 
in  the  art  of  drumming,  and  the  colonel  wished 
to  avoid  a  scene,  orders  were  given  that  he 
should  not  just  then  drum  with  his  companions. 
He  accordingly  left  his  quarters,  walking  by 
Holer's  side  instead  of  his  proper  place.  His 
heart  seemed  ready  to  break  as  he  passed  his 
father's  house.  His  little  sister  and  brother, 
Bertha  and  Robert,  the  maid-servant,  and  his 
father's  workmen,  were  all  looking  out  to  catch 
sight  of  him  as  he  passed.  But  the  window  of 
the  room  which  his  mother  occupied  was  closed 
completely,  and  a  thick  curtain  drawn  down. 
Augustus  could  not  restrain  his  tears.  Raising 
his  hands  towards  them,  he  called  out  in  a  loud, 
though  trembling  voice,  "Bid  my  mother  and 
father  good-by  for  me  !    Good-by !  good-by ! " 

"Augustus,  Augustus,  wait  a  moment!"  and 
their  heads  disappeared  from  the  window.  They 
were  evidently  coming  down  stairs,  that  the 
children  might  have  a  last  kiss  of  their  brother. 
But  Hoier  disappointed  them,  for  he  drew  his 
young  charge  away  as  quickly  as  possible. 

"Silly  creatures,"  he  muttered  between  his 
teeth,  not  without  .  evident   emotion ;    "  why 


AUGUSTUS  A  DRUMMER. 


41 


should  they  make  your  trouble  still  harder  to 
bear  ?    Come,  my  boy,  march  on ! " 

They  hastened  to  the  market-place,  where 
the  regiment  was  drawn  up.  As  they  passed 
along,  they  often  heard  the  remark:  "There 
goes  Werner's  boy,  Augustus.  He  is  a  dutiful 
son.  He  has  become  a  soldier  to  save  his  poor 
father's  life." 

"Farewell,  you  brave  fellow !"  a  great  many 
voices  added  as  he  was  lost  to  their  sight  amid 
the  crowd  of  his  new  comrades. 

An  order  was  now  given  for  all  the  drum- 
mers to  place  themselves  at  the  head  of  the 
regiment.  They  immediately  hastened  to  the 
appointed  spot,  with  the  exception  of  Augustus, 
who,  according  to  the  general's  orders,  remained 
behind.  Crowds  of  spectators  were  assembled, 
the  greater  part  of  whom  were  children.  But 
all  appeared  to  be  looking  for  the  same  object : 
"Augustus  Werner,  where  was  he?  What  a 
noble  boy!  what  a  grateful  child,  to  act  such 
a  part !  "  But  for  some  time  so  hidden  was  he, 
that  their  friendly  eyes  could  not  discover  him. 
All  at  once  the  crowd  opened,  and  several  per- 
sons made  their  way  quickly  towards  the  sol- 
diers. These  were  Werner's  workmen,  the 
maid-servant,  and  the  brother  and  sister  of 

4  * 


42  THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 

Augustus.  They  had  succeeded  in  finding  him 
out ;  and  the  two  children  almost  overpowered 
him  with  their  weeping  caresses.  None  of  the 
party  could  speak,  for  old  and  young  were  weep- 
ing together  at  this  affecting  scene.  Poor  Au- 
gustus pressed  his  little  brother  and  sister  to 
him ;  and  this  hasty  embrace  was  all  he  could 
enjoy,  for  just  then  came  the  command  in  tones 
of  thunder  from  the  commanding  officer,  "  For- 
ward! march!"  The  drummers  made  a  tre- 
mendous noise.  Augustus  was  torn  forcibly  from 
his  beloved  ones,  and  obliged  to  follow  the  sol- 
diers. He  then  arranged  his  drum  also,  and 
joining  vigorously  in  the  tumult,  he  strove  to 
drum  away  his  painful  thoughts.  But  this  was 
not  a  very  easy  matter.  He  walked  and 
drummed  mechanically  by  the  side  of  his  com- 
.  rades  till  they  had  marched  a  long  way  out  of 
the  city.  Here  they  came  to  a  hill,  where  the 
regiment  made  a  short  halt.  The  soldiers  drew 
out  their  flasks  of  brandy,  which  they  handed 
from  one  to  the  other,  whilst  they  seasoned  their 
fiery  draught  with  their  rough  jests. 

"Drink,  comrade,  drink!"  said  Augustus' 
next  neighbor,  offering  him  his  flask.  "  Noth- 
ing like  a  good  taste  of  brandy  to  make  us  for- 
get our  sorrows.    Take  a  drink,  then,  my  boy." 


AUGUSTUS  A  DRUMMER. 


43 


But  Augustus  silently  refused  the  offer,  and 
once  more  turned  his  eyes  towards  his  beloved 
native  place.  There  the  town  lay,  rejoicing  in 
the  clear  beams  of  the  morning  sun  ;  the  beau- 
tiful sight  only  increased  the  boy's  sadness. 
"Ah!"  thought  he,  "shall  I  ever  see  it  again ; 
or  if  I  do  return,  will  it  not  be  as  a  helpless 
cripple  ?  Shall  I  ever  more  see  my  dear  father 
and  mother?  Oh  that  I  had  been  allowed  to 
bid  them  good-by!  My  own  dear  home!  I 
never  loved  it  so  much  as  now  that  I  am  obliged 
to  leave  it.  Farewell  forever !  May  God  pro- 
tect you,  beloved  ones ! "  He  kept  his  sad 
thoughts  to  himself,  however,  for  he  was  not 
proof  against  the  raillery  of  his  companions. 
They  talked  and  joked  with  each  other  more  as 
if  they  were  proceeding  to  a  feast  than  to  war; 
and  yet  most  of  them  had  left  loving  parents  at 
home,  who  trembled  and  prayed  for  their  chil- 
dren's safety. 

The  larks,  too,  sang  joyously  in  the  blue  sky, 
as  if  they  were  striving  to  dispel  his  grief. 
Their  simple  warbling  did  more  than  anything 
else  towards  enabling  him  to  overcome  his  feel- 
ings. He  thought  of  the  God  who  had  made 
these  little  creatures ;  and  he  remembered  that 
as  they  were  cared  for  by  his  Almighty  Father, 


44 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


SO  was  he  also.  These  soothing  reflections 
brought  peace  and  happiness  once  more  into  his 
heart,  and  his  youthful  face  began  to  lose  the 
careworn  expression  w^hich  it  had  borne  for 
some  days  past.  By  the  time  his  comrades 
were  ready  to  pursue  their  march,  he  was  even 
more  merry  and  cheerful  than  those  who  had 
had  recourse  to  their  constant  companions  — 
the  brandy  flasks. 


A  Soldier's  Life. 

The  Little  Gerniuu  Uiuiiiincr-Boy,  p.  45. 


A  soldier's  life. 


45 


CHAPTER  V. 

A  soldier's  life. 

Augustus  heard  his  companions  sing;  but 
he  did  not  quite  agree  with  them  either  in  the 
sentiments  or  the  manner  of  their  songs.  Be- 
sides, he  was  fatigued  and  down-hearted.  He 
was  so  unaccustomed  to  carry  the  knapsack,  that 
the  burden  caused  him  much  discomfort.  His 
back  and  shoulders  ached  violently  from  the 
unusual  weight.  It  was  bad  enough  for  him 
who  had  only  the  drum  in  addition  to  carry ; 
but  still  he  was  not  so  badly  off  as  the  other 
soldiers ;  they  had  their  heavy  guns  with  them, 
and  were  obliged  to  rest  them  on  their  shoulders. 
Then  another  annoyance  was  the  cloud  of  dust 
which  harassed  the  regiment  as  it  marched 
along  the  roads.  Indeed  to  such  a  height  did 
this  inconvenience  arise,  that  the  soldiers'  uni- 
forms looked  as  if  they  had  been  well  powdered. 
Instead  of  inhaling  the  fresh  air,  their  mouths 
and  Mioses  were  filled  with  dust,  which  parched 


4G 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


the  throat  and  tongue.  It  is  true  they  some- 
times passed  by  refreshing  springs,  but  they 
were  seldom  permitted  to  enjoy  the  cooling 
beverage.  A  few  only  were  allowed  to  step  out 
of  the  ranks  when  it  was  necessary  to  fill  the 
flasks;  but  the  greater  number  of  the  thirsty 
soldiers  were  obliged  to  pass  them  by. 

Bathed  in  perspiration,  racked  with  aches  and 
pains,  weary,  and  out  of  spirits,  Augustus  and 
his  comrades  at  length  arrived  at  the  village 
in  which  it  was  arranged  they  should  dine. 
Augustus  had  not  eaten  a  morsel  that  day,  and 
it  was  now  one  o'clock.  Hungry  as  he  was,  he 
had  still  to  wait  a  full  half  hour,  until  the  troops 
had  been  called  over  and  billetted  upon  the  dif- 
ferent houses  in  the  village.  Their  arrival  had 
been  expected,  and  preparations  had  therefore 
been  made  for  their  reception.  Augustus  and 
twenty  of  his  companions  had  scarcely  entered 
the  room,  before  the  smoking  meal  made  its 
appearance.  The  table  was  quickly  covered; 
plates,  spoons,  knives,  and  forks,  lay  ready;  huge 
loaves  of  bread,  butter,  and  cheese,  had  been 
amply  provided;  nor  were  brandy  and  beer 
wanting.  One  end  of  the  table  was  adorned 
with  an  immense  dish  of  dumplings,  while  the 
other  supported  a  dish  of  boiled  pork.  After 


A  soldier's  life. 


47 


the  soldiers  had  thrown  aside  their  arms  and 
knapsacks,  they  took  their  seats  around  the 
table.  The  peasant  and  his  wife,  their  children 
and  the  little  servant  girl,  stood  behind  the 
strangers,  waiting  to  attend  upon  them. 

The  family  group  uncovered  their  heads,  ex- 
pecting to  hear  the  soldiers  ask  a  blessing  on 
the  food  that  was  before  them ;  but  they  waited 
in  vain.  Augustus  was  the  only  one  of  the 
whole  party  who  bent  his  head  to  repeat  the  few 
words  of  thanksgiving  that  had  never  been 
neglected  at  his  dear  father's  table.  And  now  a 
terrible  tumult  began.  Augustus'  comrades 
swore  fearfully  at  the  puddings  and  the  meat; 
the  former,  they  said,  were  as  hard  as  stones; 
the  latter  as  tough  and  tasteless  as  leather.  Some 
compared  them  to  cannon-balls,  and  threatened 
to  send  them  at  the  heads  of  those  who  had 
been  concerned  in  making  them.  In  vain  the 
poor  woman  pleaded  that  it  was  not  her  fault; 
the  dinner  had  been  ready  for  two  hours,  and 
as  a  natural  consequence,  the  puddings  had 
become  heavy.  It  was  with  diffirulty  the  dis- 
contented guests  could  be  restrained  from  add- 
ing violent  actions  to  their  violent  words. 
During  this  altercation  Augustus  quietly,  and 
without  complaining,  took  his  portion  of  the 


48 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


unsavory  food.  He  willingly  left  his  share  of 
the  brandy  to  his  companions ;  but  he  rejoiced 
at  the  prospect  of  a  refreshing  draught  of  pure 
water.  Many  took  beer,  which  happened  to  be 
sour,  and  tasted  of  the  cask.  This  discovery 
increased  the  general  discontent. 

"Gentlemen,"  said  the  peasant,  on  seeing 
their  angry  looks  as  they  tasted  the  nauseous 
beverage,  "we  have  nothing  but  such  beer  as 
this  to  drink  throughout  the  summer,  and  we 
have  paid  for  it  as  good.  You  must  not  be 
angry  with  us,  but  with  our  landlord,  who 
requires  us  to  buy  it  of  him." 

"You  may  think  it  a  fortunate  thing  for 
yourselves,"  returned  a  soldier,  "that  we  are 
Germans  instead  of  Frenchmen.  They  would 
have  thrown  your  beer  in  your  faces,  and  made 
you  get  wine  for  them." 

"  Those  who  have  no  wine  can't  give  any," 
returned  the  peasant;  "and  where  there  is  no- 
thing, the  emperor  himself  would  ask  without 
getting." 

No  sooner  had  they  pretty  well  cleared  the 
table,  (which  they  accomplished  in  spite  of  their 
discontented  speeches,)  than  the  soldiers  started 
up,  and  began  exploring  in  all  directions. 
Some  found  their  way  into  the  dairy,  where 


A  soldier's  life. 


49 


they  scrupled  not  to  drink  off  the  cream ; 
others  visited  the  hen-house  and  the  dove-cot ; 
another  party  ran  over  the  garden,  attracted  by 
the  cherry-trees,  that  were  heavily  laden  with 
fruit;  while  some  did  not  disdain  to  pay  an 
inquiring  visit  to  the  cheese-baskets,  that  were 
placed  at  a  height  from  the  ground.  Augustus, 
in  the  meantime,  remained  behind  in  the  sit- 
ting-room. When  he  found  himself  alone  at  the 
table,  melancholy  again  overpowered  him.  The 
thought  of  his  parents  recurred  to  him  with 
redoubled  bitterness.  What  might  have  hap- 
pened to  them  by  this  time  ?  He  leaned  his 
head  upon  his  hands,  and  for  a  time  forgot  all 
around  him.  But  he  was  recalled  to  conscious- 
ness by  hearing  the  angry  complaints  of  the 
peasant,  who  was  in  the  court-yard,  loudly  re- 
monstrating against  the  depredations  that  were 
going  on  on  all  sides. 

Augustus  was  heartily  ashamed  of  the  behav- 
iour of  his  comrades.  Just  as  he  was  in  the 
act  of  going  out,  to  endeavor  to  expostulate 
with  them,  he  heard  a  child  cry  behind  the 
stove.  He  went  to  the  place  from  whence  the 
sound  proceeded,  and  found  a  child  lying  in  a 
cradle.  The  little  one  reminded  him  of  his 
dead  sister,  and  drove  all  other  thoughts  out  of 
5  D 


50 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


his  head.  He  took  the  weeping  child  from  her 
little  bed,  and  endeavored  to  divert  her  atten- 
tion. At  first  she  appeared  inclined  to  cry  still 
louder  at  the  sight  of  a  stranger's  face;  but 
Augustus  spoke  so  gently  and  kindly,  that  her 
fear  gave  way  to  confidence  in  her  new  nurse. 
She  stared  at  him  with  eyes  wide  open,  and  at 
length  began  to  play  with  his  epaulettes. 
Augustus,  for  the  first  time  since  he  left  home, 
felt  perfectly  happy.  He  sang  his  prettiest 
songs  to  the  child,  and  danced  with  it  about  the 
room.  In  the  midst  of  all  this  the  mother 
entered.  As  she  saw  the  occupation  of  the 
drummer,  the  discontented  and  angry  expres- 
sion of  her  face  changed  to  one  of  kindness  and 
pleasure. 

"  You  seem  to  me  the  only  lamb  among  all 
those  wolves,"  said  she.  "  I  thought  as  much 
when  I  saw  you  ask  God's  blessing  on  the  food, 
and  behave  so  quietly  and  decently  at  dinner. 
Only  see  the  little  thing  how  pleased  she  is  to 
be  danced  by  the  young  lad !  Sure  you  have 
some  little  sisters  like  her  at  home  —  haven't 
you?" 

"  I  had  one,"  answered  Augustus,  very  much 
distressed  ;  "  but  the  soldier  whose  place  I  have 
taken  killed  her  with  his  drum." 


A  soldier's  life. 


51 


"  Killed  her  with  his  drum  !  "  repeated  the 
woman  in  surprise.  "  How  could  that  be  ? 
Tell  me  then." 

As  Augustus  was  about  to  comply  with  her 
wish,  the  drum  was  heard  in  the  distance. 

"  There's  the  summons  to  march,"  said  he 
hastily.  "  I  must  go,  and  drum  with  my  com- 
rades." 

"Wait  just  another  moment,"  said  his  hostess, 
quickly  leaving  the  room.  She  soon  came  back 
with  a  dish  of  beautiful  cherries.  "  You  will 
like  them  all  the  better,  my  boy,"  added  she, 
"because  they  are  honorably  gained."  She 
filled  his  pockets  and  cap  with  them,  then 
relieved  him  of  her  child,  and  bade  him  a 
friendly  farewell. 

Happy,  because  at  peace  with  himself,  Au- 
gustus now  joined  his  companions,  and  made  his 
drum  no  less  noisy  than  theirs.  They  were 
soon  again  marching  at  the  head  of  the  regi- 
ment. Again  they  had  to  endure  intense  heat, 
thirst,  and  fatigue ;  and  most  valuable  was  the 
gift  of  cherries  to  poor  Augustus.  He  was 
very  sparing  in  his  enjoyment  of  them,  and 
managed  to  make  this  delicious  refreshment  last 
until  the  evening,  when  they  arrived  at  a  town 
in  which  they  were  to  be  quartered  for  the  night. 


52 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


The  troops  rejoiced  at  the  thought  of  a  good 
supper  and  a  comfortable  bed  after  the  toils  and 
fatigues  of  the  day.  They  could  hardly  wait 
until  they  were  informed  on  what  houses  they 
were  billetted  ;  and  amidst  much  laughing  and 
talking  they  found  their  way  to  their  several 
quarters. 

While  the  supper  was  preparing,  the  men 
employed  themselves  in  brushing  their  uni- 
forms, and  cleaning  their  muskets  and  swords  ; 
they  refreshed  themselves  by  shaving,  and 
washing  their  hands  and  faces.  Several,  on 
opening  their  knapsacks,  produced  articles  that 
they  had  appropriated  to  themselves  at  the  vil- 
lage in  which  they  had  rested  at  mid-day.  One 
ran  into  the  kitchen  with  half-a-dozen  eggs, 
which  he  desired  should  form  an  omelet  for  his 
own  eating ;  another  produced  a  pair  of  dead 
pigeons  ;  a  third  a  hen  ;  these  they  decided  to 
have  cooked  for  the  following  day.  A  fourth, 
with  a  shout  of  triumph,  now  drew  forth  a  head- 
less goose,  with  which  he  excited  the  envy  of 
his  less  fortunate  companions. 

"  Ah  ! said  he,  holding  up  the  body,  "  this 
old  fellow  thought  to  frighten  me  away  by  his 
gabbling,  as  I  crept  through  the  garden  pales  ; 
he  hissed  at  me  horribly ;  but,  thinks  I  to 


A  soldier's  life. 


53 


myself,  *  My  fine  fellow,  you  will  just  suit  me;' 
and  I  gave  him  a  cut  across  his  long  neck,  that 
soon  finished  him.  The  bird  is  fat  enough,  at 
least,  so  I  expect  from  the  weight."  The  poor 
goose  was  then  taken  into  the  kitchen  to  be 
roasted  with  his  companions. 

The  inn-keeper  had  done  his  utmost  to  please 
them.  The  various  eatables  that  were  placed 
on  the  table  smelt  so  savory,  the  salad  looked 
so  fresh  and  green,  the  beer  was  so  foaming  and 
clear,  that  the  men  for  once  sat  down  quite 
inclined  to  be  pleased  with  all  that  was  placed 
before  them.  Biit  it  seemed  they  were  doomed 
to  disappointment.  Scarcely  had  they  finished 
the  first  spoonful  of  a  delicious  soup,  before  the 
door  was  hastily  thrown  open,  and  a  young 
officer  entered,  his  accoutrements  clanging  at 
every  step  he  took. 

"  Drummer  !  "  he  commanded,  "  quick,  beat 
the  march ! " 

These  few  words  sufficed  to  change  the  sol- 
diers into  statues.  Their  hands  sank  on  the 
table  as  they  stood  aghast  at  the  unwelcome 
messenger. 

Hoier,  the  sergeant,  was  the  first  to  recover 
himself,  so  as  to  be  able  to  say,  "  Do  you  really 
mean,  sir,  that  the  men  are  not  to  break  their 

5  * 


54 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


fast  after  such  a  severe  march  as  this  has 
been  ?  " 

"  I  am  not  in  the  habit  of  joking  with  my 
inferiors/'  returned  the  lieutenant  disdainfully; 
"it  is  beneath  me;  you  will  please  to  remember 
that  for  the  future  ;  and  also  that  it  is  usual,  in 
speaking  to  your  officers,  to  rise  from  your  seat. 
One  would  have  supposed  you  would  have  had 
time  to  learn  that  before  this,  instead  of  giving 
your  comrades  such  an  example.  The  rascals 
appear  to  have  profited  pretty  well  by  it,  sitting 
there  like  stocks  in  my  presence.  By  the 
powers !  I'll  teach  you  what  is  due  to  those 
above  you ! " 

Like  puppets  touched  by  a  wire  the  soldiers 
now  rose  from  their  seats,  Hoier  at  their  head. 
The  sergeant  swallowed  without  a  reply  the 
rude  speeches  of  the  lieutenant,  though  he  was 
old  and  experienced  enough  to  be  his  father. 
He  stood  quite  calm  and  erect  without  a  trace 
of  anger  on  his  face,  except  that  it  was  rather 
paler  than  usual.  When  the  officer  had  finished 
speaking,  he  merely  inquired  respectfully,  "  Sir, 
may  not  the  people  at  least  finish  their  supper 
first?" 

"  No!"  returned  the  lieutenant;  "it  is  intended 


A  soldier's  life. 


55 


for  the  French,  who  have  just  arrived.  We  are 
to  give  place  to  them.  I  shall  remain  here  to 
see  that  nothing  is  removed." 

The  soldiers  left  the  table  with  very  long 
faces,  and  prepared  to  march.  In  the  meantime 
the  master  of  the  goose  endeavored  to  escape 
unobserved  into  the  kitchen,  that  he  might  at 
any  rate  secure  his  booty. 

"  Where  are  you  off  to  ? "  called  out  the 
officer,  whose  sharp  sight  nothing  could  escape. 

"  In  —  to  —  the  —  kitchen,"  stammered  the 
other.    "  I  only  wanted  "  

"  Stay  in  the  room,"  commanded  the  lieuten- 
ant. He  now  perceived  that  Augustus  was  still 
present,  and  with  a  muttered  curse  he  added, 
"  Unless  you  find  your  legs  pretty  quickly,  you 
won't  be  here  long;"  and  so  saying  he  drew  his 
sabre  half  out  of  its  sheath.  Augustus,  how- 
ever, was  too  quick  for  him  ;  he  rushed  through 
the  door,  and  joined  his  companions.  They  did 
not  fail  to  discuss  the  conduct  of  the  young 
officer.  It  was  plain  enough,  they  all  agreed, 
that  the  lieutenant  had  as  yet  made  no  cam- 
paign, or  he  would  have  learned  better  than  to 
bluster  after  that  fashion.  He  had  better  take 
care  —  he  would  not  be  the  first  officer  who,  in 


56 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


the  confusion  of  a  battle,  had  been  shot  by  one 
of  his  own  people. 

The  village  to  which  the  Rhenish  troops  had 
to  find  their  way  that  evening  for  their  night's 
quarters  lay  a  good  hour's  march  from  the 
town.  Who  could  wonder  that  they  indulged  in 
murmurings  and  complainings  as  they  passed 
along  ?  More  especially  as  a  violent  storm  over- 
took them,  and  drenched  them  completely 
through.  The  consequence  was,  that  the  poor 
people  who  could  only  offer  them  scanty  fare 
and  straw-beds,  had  to  suffer  a  great  deal  from 
them. 

As  Augustus  walked  beside  his  comrades,  he 
thought  of  the  song  he  had  so  often  heard  them 
sing  — 

"  It  is  a  right  joyous  thing  a  soldier  to  be  !  " 

His  own  experience,  short  as  it  had  been,  had 
led  him  to  a  very  different  conclusion.  What 
had  vexed  him  the '  most  was  the  ill  treatment 
his  kind  friend  the  sergeant  had  been  compelled 
to  bear  from  the  young  and  haughty  lieutenant. 
And  when  he  compared  his  present  condition 
with  what  it  had  been  a  few  days  previous,  how 
painful  was  the  contrast !  But  Augustus,  young 


A  soldier's  life. 


57 


as  he  was,  had  learned  one  useful  lesson  —  that 
it  was  unwise  and  useless  to  spend  his  time  in 
vain  regrets  and  lamentations.  He  repeated  his 
usual  prayer  before  retiring  to  rest ;  and,  hard 
as  his  couch  was,  the  weary  boy  was  soon  wrapt 
in  a  peaceful  and  refreshing  slumber. 


58 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

HARDSHIPS., 

Augustus  had  at  first  imagined  that  he  never 
could  bear  the  hardships  of  a  soldier's  life  for 
any  length  of  time;  but  he  was  mistaken. 
Every  day  his  knapsack  annoyed  him  less  and 
less  :  he  did  not  feel  so  weary  after  a  lengthened 
march  ;  and  he  found  the  heat  and  dust  easier 
to  endure.  He  could  now  sleep  as  well  on  a 
bundle  of  straw  or  hay  as  he  formerly  did  in  a 
feather-bed ;  and  every  morning,  even  though 
he  had  had  but  a  short  rest,  he  felt  his  strength 
and  spirits  invigorated.  The  fact  of  his  passing 
so  much  of  his  time  in  the  open  air,  and  taking 
continual  exercise,  had  the  best  possible  effect 
on  his  health.  He  felt  happy  without  knowing 
why.  He  was  a  general  favorite  with  his  com- 
rades, and  he  began  to  feel  a  great  attachment 
to  them.  It  was  evident  to  him  that  many  of 
their  unkind  actions  proceeded  rather  from 
thoughtlessness  and  extravagance  than  from 


HARDSHIPS.  59 


cruelty  of  disi30sition.  He  was  most  distressed 
at  the  dreadful  oaths  that  he  heard  constantly 
around  him.  Every  one  seemed  ashamed  to 
pray  to  God,  but  none  were  ashamed  to  curse 
and  swear.  The  slightest  and  most  trifling  an- 
noyances would  lead  them  to  appeal  in  the  most 
terrible  way  to  the  Almighty.  For  some  time 
Augustus  kept  silence;-  but  as  he  became  better 
acquainted  with  his  comrades,  he  ventured  cau- 
tiously and  gently  to  reprove  them. 

One  day  one  of  the  soldiers,  in  brushing  his 
uniform,  knocked  off  a  button.  This  trifling 
circumstance  caused  him  to  utter  as  usual  a 
volley  of  bitter  imprecations.  "  Oh  !  "  said 
Augustus,  unable  to  contain  himself,  "  how  can 
you  speak  so  wickedly  ?  Suppose  God  were  to 
grant  your  prayer,  you  would  be  lost  forever  ; 
just  because  a  trumpery  button  happened  to 
make  you  angry." 

The  man  looked  up  with  surprise.  "  You 
silly  boy,  who  would  imagine  such  a  thing  ?  " 

Did  you  not  ask  it  yourself,  just  now  ?  " 
inquired  Augustus. 

"  Nonsense  !  "  returned  the  man  ;  "  of  course 
I  did  not  mean  what  I  said;  I  was  only 
joking." 

"  Do  you  recollect,"  asked  Augustus,  "  how 


60 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


angry  the  lieutenant  was  because  Sergeant  Hoier 
supposed  he  was  joking  with  him  ?  He  said  he 
thought  joking  quite  beneath  him,  especially 
with  inferiors;  though,  after  all,  there  is  not 
such  a  very  great  difference  between  him  and 
Hoier.  You  take  care  never  to  joke  with  your 
loaded  musket ;  and  surely  you  will  not  dare  to 
joke  with  the  Most  High,  or  with  the  most 
dreadful  of  all  evils  that  could  happen  to  you  ? 
Oh  it  is  horrible  to  think  of  such  a  thing !  " 

The  soldier  appeared  to  ridicule  the  boy's 
reproof ;  but  he  took  care  for  the  future,  if  not 
totally  to  abstain  from  such  shocking  oaths,  at 
any  rate  not  to  utter  them  in  the  presence  of  his 
little  Mentor.  Indeed,  Augustus  exercised  a 
good  influence  over  most  of  his  companions.  He 
was  never  heard  to  murmur  at  fatigue,  the 
weather,  common  fare,  a  hard  bed,  or  any  of  the 
hardships  they  had  to  endure;  he  was  never 
seen  ill-treating  the  peasantry,  or  appropriating 
the  possessions  of  others  to  himself. 

He  had  at  first  gained  the  regard  of  the 
troops  by  his  self-denying  love  to  his  father; 
and  this  esteem  had  subsequently  been  increased 
by  his  exemplary  conduct.  In  addition  to  this, 
the  favor  with  Avliich  the  colonel  and  Sergeant 


1 


HARDSHIPS. 


61 


Hoier  regarded  him  raised  him  in  the  estima- 
tion of  the  company. 

As  soon  as  he  could  find  time  and  oppor- 
tunity, he  wrote  the  following  letter  to  his 
father :  — 

My  Beloved  Father  —  Our  good 
colonel  has  had  the  kindness  to  assure  me  that  the 
wicked  drummer  has  recovered  from  his  wound, 
and  is  on  his  way  to  join  his  regiment.  I  trust 
that  you  have  therefore  long  ere  this  been  set 
free.  Oh  how  glad  I  am  to  think  of  it!  I 
only  hope  dear  mother  is  well  again,  and  does 
not  feel  so  miserable  about  our  Emily's  death. 
Do  not  be  anxious  or  uncomfortable  about  me ; 
I  am  very  well,  and  have  not  been  in  want  of 
anything.  The  colonel  is  a  very  kind  protector 
to  me ;  and  as  to  Sergeant  Hoier,  he  is  like  a 
second  father.  Indeed  a  soldier's  life  is  not 
nearly  so  miserable  as  we  all  imagined.  We 
have  not  yet  had  a  glimpse  of  the  enemy,  for  at 
present  we  are  only  in  Poland.  When  we  reach 
Russia  we  may  expect  to  encounter  them.  But 
do  not  fear  for  me  then.  Our  sergeant  says,  ^  it 
is  not  every  ball  that  finds  its  man  ;  and  they 
shoot  right  over  the  heads  of  such  little  fellows 
as  I  am.'    Poland  seems  to  me  like  a  land  of 

6 


G2 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


pigs.  I  do  not  Speak  of  the  cities,  but  only  of 
the  villages.  Only  fancy,  you  never  find  a 
chimney  in  the  peasants'  cottages  !  So  that  the 
room  is  always  full  of  stifling  smoke ;  for  it  is 
not  to  be  supposed  that  it  can  get  clearly  out  of 
the  little  air-holes  they  have  in  the  walls.  The 
manure  is  not  taken  out  into  the  fields,  but  is 
left  in  a  heap  close  by  the  house,  and  there 
gives  out  a  horrible  stench.  These  dunghills 
are  the  favorite  spots  for  the  children  to  play 
on,  and  you  may  see  numbers  of  them  sitting 
and  amusing  themselves  there,  just  like  pigs. 
One  can  hardly  look  at  them  —  the  children, 
their  parents,  or  tEe  servants —  without  disgust. 
They  never  seem  to  think  of  washing  them- 
selves. How^  surprised  the  French  will  be 
when  they  follow  us  to  these  quarters  !  I  had 
much  rather  bivouac  in  the  open  air,  which  we 
have  often  done.  We  WTap  ourselves  in  our 
cloaks,  lay  our  heads  on  our  knapsacks ;  the 
beautiful  blue  sky,  wdth  its  shining  stars  for  our 
curtains ;  and  the  fresh  morning  air  our  alarum. 
The  latter  does  its  work  so  thoroughly,  that 
W'hen  it  comes  Ave  are  obliged  to  get  up,  and 
take  a  little  brandy  for  fear  of  catching  the 
ague.  This  is  the  only  dram  I  take  in  the  day, 
and  I  cannot  help  it,  because  we  have  no  coffee. 


HARDSHIPS. 


63 


My  comrades  laugli  at  me  because  I  will  not 
smoke.  I  know,  dear  father,  you  will  be  glad 
that  I  do  not  accustom  myself  to  it,  and  also 
that  I  do  not  swear.  I  do  not  forget  to  say  the 
prayers  my  dear  mother  taught  me  every  night 
and  morning  ;  but  we  never  go  to  church. 

"  It  will  be  very  long  before  I  shall  be  able 
to  get  my  discharge,  for  the  colonel  says  in  a 
short  time  they  will  want  as  many  men  as  they 
can  get.  I  have  therefore  quite  made  up  my 
mind  to  it.  I  should  so  like  to  know  how  all 
goes  on  at  home  ;  but  there  is  scarcely  any  like- 
lihood of  a  letter  reaching  me,  because  we  keep 
moving  from  one  place  to  another.  And  now, 
dear  father,  I  must  conclude.  Give  dear  mother, 
Bertha,  and  Robert  a  hundred  kisses  for  me ; 
and  give  my  love  to  our  good  Anna  and  the 
workmen.  I  will  write  again  as  soon  as  I  can. 
Till  then  good-by,  dear  father.  Your  loving 
child,  Augustus. 

This  letter  gave  unspeakable  delight  to  every 
member  of  Werner's  family.  The  parents  first 
shed  tears  of  joy  at  the  thought  that  they  were 
blessed  with  such  a  kind  and  affectionate  son  ; 
these  were  succeeded  by  tears  of  sorrow  that  he 
was  taken  from  them.    His  little  brother  and 


64 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


sister  jumped  about,  and  clapped  their  hands 
for  joy ;  Anna  smiled  with  pleasure  that  she 
had  been  thought  of  by  her  young  master ;  and 
the  workmen  said,  "  It  was  just  what  might 
have  been  expected  from  him — he  was  too  kind 
and  thoughtful  to  forget  any  one."  The  letter 
traveled  through  the  whole  town,  for  all  were 
interested  in  the  self-denying  son.  His  father 
made  up  his  mind  to  travel  after  the  army,  and 
purchase  the  discharge  of  Augustus  at  any 
cost ;  and  it  was  only  by  the  expostulations  of 
his  friends  —  who  represented  to  him  the  use- 
lessness  of  such  a  step,  and  the  weak  and 
defenceless  condition  in  which  his  family  would 
be  left  in  his  absence  during  a  time  of  distur- 
bance and  war  —  that  he  was  prevented  from 
executing  his  design. 


THE  GRAND  ARMY. 


65 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE  GRAND  ARMY. 

It  was  in  the  summer  of  the  year  1812  that 
the  French  army  crossed  the  Russian  frontier. 
Never  had  its  equal  been  seen  in  number  or 
in  the  completeness  of  its  equipments.  It 
amounted  to  upwards  of  500,000  foot  soldiers, 
80,000  cavalry,  and  more  than  12,000  artillery. 
Troops  of  all  nations  had  joined  the  great  army 
—  Italians,  Austrians,  Prussians,  Bavarians, 
Westphalians ;  and  men  from  Wirtemberg, 
from  Saxony,  from  Baden,  from  Holland,  might 
be  found  there  in  their  various  uniforms.  Well 
might  the  Emperor  Napoleon  be  almost  intoxi- 
cated with  joy  as  this  immense  multitude 
gathered  round  him.  It  was  indeed  a  glorious 
sight.  The  foot  regiment  of  the  Blues  marched 
in  front,  broad  as  a  powerful  stream,  and  densely 
pressed  together.  At  their  head  martial  music 
was  heard,  mingled  with  the  crashing  of  trum- 
pets. Then  followed  three  rows  of  long-bearded 
6  *  •  E 


66 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


pioneers,  with  white  leathern  aprons  and  gleam- 
ing axes.  The  whole  multitude,  in  step,  act, 
and  movement,  seemed  but  as  one  man.  The 
soldiers  with  their  long  bayonets  glittering  in 
the  sun,  appeared  like  moving  walls.  Instead 
of  a  standard  an  immense  golden  eagle,  with 
outspread  wings,  was  borne  above  them,  as  if 
taking  the  warriors  under  its  protection.  The 
Emperor's  guards  might  be  distinguished  above 
all.  Being  men  of  large  stature,  they  looked 
like  Savage  giants  with  their  high  caps  of  bears' 
skin.  Yet  even  these  were  surpassed  in  beauty 
by  the  Dutch  Guards,  whose  uniforms  were  of 
the  purest  white  cloth.  Then  how  powerful 
was  the  impression  made  by  the  sight  of  the 
masses  of  cavalry  !  Then  came  numerous  regi- 
ments of  the  mounted  Jager,  in  green  uniforms 
with  red  facings  ;  pieces  of  fur,  resembling  that 
of  a  tiger,  bordered  the  glittering  helmet, 
from  which  waved  a  streamer  of  horse-hair. 
The  hussars  followed  them,  with  their  richly- 
laced  dollmans,  or  jackets,  and  their  low,  broad 
caps  of  bears'  skin,  from  which  hung  a  red  bag 
with  golden  tassels.  Then  came  the  cuirassiers, 
protected  on  the  breast  and  on  the  back  by  bril- 
liantly-polished cuirasses.  The  horses  they  rode 
were  gigantic  creatures.    Numerous  trumpeters 


it 


THE  GRAND  ARMY. 


67 


performed  the  most  inspiriting  music  before 
each  regiment.  Thousands  of  sabres  that  now 
were  waved  to  do  homage  to  the  Emperor  were 
destined  ere  long  to  be  stained  with  human 
blood ;  thousands  upon  thousands  of  bayonets 
would  pierce  the  bodies  of  fellow-men;  and  the 
millions  of  balls  that  the  enemy  brought  with 
them  would  quiet  for  ever  many  a  heart  now 
beating  high  with  hope  and  excitement.  An 
observer  might  well  be  dazzled  at  the  first  sight 
of  this  magnificent  scene,  especially  as  he  gazed 
at  the  threatening  cannon,  each  drawn  by  six 
or  eight  horses,  and  surrounded  by  the  artillery- 
men with  their  accompanying  implements ;  but 
a  very  little  consideration  would  induce  him  to 
mourn  over  rather  than  exult  in  such  a  splendid 
array  of  destructive  machinery. 

Augustus,  however,  felt  nothing  of  this  as, 
with  his  regiment,  he  passed  before  the  Empe- 
ror. Napoleon  was  surrounded  by  a  numerous 
staff  of  gay  and  distinguished  officers.  But  the 
boy  could  see  only  him.  Among  all  the  gentle- 
men present  he  was  the  most  simply  attired.  A 
small  three-cocked  hat,  without  a  plume  or  any 
mark  of  distinction,  was  on  his  head.  His  coat 
was  green,  ornamented  with  a  single  star.  His 
breeches  and  waistcoat  were  white.    His  coun- 


68 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


tenance  was  pale,  but  lighted  with  a  pair  of 
piercing  eyes.  In  stature  he  was  small,  but 
inclined  to  stoutness. 

On  entering  the  Russian  borders,  Napoleon 
thus  addressed  his  troops :  —  Soldiers,  a  wide 
field  of  glory  again  lies  before  you.  From  the 
arid  deserts  of  Egypt  up  to  this  spot  you  have 
passed  through  a  career  of  victory.  You  have 
now  an  opportunity  of  continuing  it.  We  will 
conquer  the  Russians,  and  hunt  the  barbarians 
out  of  Europe.  In  less  than  two  months  I  will 
lead  you  into  the  capital  of  the  ancient  czars. 
There  you  shall  rest  from  your  toils,  and  reap 
the  reward  of  your  labors.  I  will  there  deter- 
mine upon  the  conditions  of  peace,  and  bring 
you  back,  covered  wilh  glory,  to  your  native 
country." 

It  would  be  well  for  mankind  if  they  only 
had  as  much  faith  in  the  word  of  God  as  the 
soldiers  had  in  the  word  of  Napoleon.  They 
were  firmly  convinced  of  the  truth  of  what  he 
said,  and  saluted  their  monarch  with  thundering 
shouts  of  "Long  live  the  Emperor." 


• 


I 


THE  BURNINa  OF  THE  MILL. 


69 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE  BUKNING  OF  THE  MILL. 

The  village  of  Moswka  was  situated  on  the 
road  leading  to  Smolensk.  It  was  in  the  even- 
ing of  the  same  day  on  which  the  French  had 
entered  the  Russian  territory  that  the  church 
bells  were  heard  ringing  at  an  unusual  hour. 
Old  and  young  immediately  answered  the  sum- 
mons, and  assembled  in  the  place  of  worship, 
which  was  lighted  up  with  wax  tapers.  Urged 
on  more  by  feelings  of  curiosity  than  of  devo- 
tion, the  inhabitants  of  the  village  crowded 
round  the  altar.  On  the  steps  stood  their  vener- 
able pastor.  His  raised  hand  commanded  si- 
lence and  attention  from  those  who  were  enter- 
ing ;  and  when  all  were  assembled,  he  thus 
addressed  them.  His  voice  was  strong,  but 
testified  deep  inward  emotion :  — "  My  children, 
the  bands  of  the  French  have  this  day  entered 
the  sacred  bounds  of  your  beloved  country,  to 
violate  our  sanctuaries,  and  to  inflict  the  evils  of 


70 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


robbery,  murder,  and  fire  upon  all  who  resist 
them.  In  order  that  the  enemy  may  encounter 
more  certain  destruction,  our  own  warriors  will 
not  advance  to  meet  them.  The  French  will 
doubtless  arrive  at  this  place  early  to-morrow 
morning.  It  now  becomes  our  duty  to  do  all 
in  our  power  to  prevent  their  progress,  or  at 
any  rate  to  increase  their  difficulties.  Proceed 
immediately,  therefore,  to  break  down  the  bridge 
that  crosses  our  river,  and  to  fill  up  the  wells. 
Burn  your  houses,  lead  your  cattle  away,  and 
hasten  with  your  children  into  the  interior  of 
the  country,  so  that  the  enemy  on  their  arrival 
may  find  only  a  desert." 

The  assembled  multitude  rushed  from  the 
church  to  commence  the  duty  of  laying  waste 
the  village.  There  lay  the  clean  thatched 
cottages,  with  the  soft  light  of  the  setting  sun 
shining  upon  them.  Many  children  were  play- 
ing around.  The  elder-trees  were  full  of  bloom, 
and  with  the  green  lime  and  graceful  willow 
enlivened  the  long  street  which  formed  the 
principal  part  of  the  village.  The  low  murmur 
of  the  river  might  be  heard  as  it  passed  under 
the  narrow  bridge,  mingled  with  the  lowing  of 
the  herds  returning  from  the  pasture.  By  the 
side  of  the  stream  stood  a  large  mill ;  but 


THE  BURNING  OF  THE  MILL.  71 

though  the  wheel  was  turning  rapidly,  it  seemed 
to  no  purpose,  for  the  miller  was  no  longer  at- 
tending to  it.  On  hearing  the  minister's  address 
he  had  hastily  left  the  church,  and  now  stood 
engaged  in  deep  and  anxious  thought. 

The  poor  animals  were  now  driven  out  of 
their  stalls;  geese,  ducks,  fowls  and  pigeons, 
were  all  collected  together.  The  women  loaded 
themselves  with  their  household  treasures — the 
linen,  that  was  their  own  handiwork;  while  the 
men  fastened  bundles  of  straw  to  the  railings  of 
the  bridge,  and  set  fire  to  them.  In  a  short 
time  all  the  houses  in  the  villao;e  were  burnino;, 
the  mill  alone  excepted.  The  children  were  tlie 
first  to  leave  the  burning  village,  driving  the 
beasts  before  them.  The  women  followed, 
almost  weighed  down  with  their  heavy  bundles. 
The  men  were  holding  a  last  consultation  with 
their  venerable  minister. 

"How  is  this.  Master  Naumau?"  said  the 
latter  in  great  astonishment  to  tlie  miller,  who 
stood  before  the  unconsumed  mill,  apparently 
quite  undecided  what  to  do.  "Will  you  not 
follow  our  example?" 

"Forgive  me,  reverend  father,"  returned 
Naumau  in  great  confusion.  "I  really  do  not 
know  what  to  determine  upon.    It  will  be  ten 


72 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


times  more  difficult  and  more  expensive  to  re- 
build this  mill,  which  is  the  only  property  I 
possess,  than  the  cottages  that  surround  it.  I 
am  a  German,  as  you  well  know ;  and  since 
there  are  German  regiments  with  the  French 
army,  I  hope,  by  their  assistance,  to  get  through 
without  loss." 

This  speech  occasioned  a  general  feeling  of 
indignation  in  the  bystanders.  They  cried  as 
with  one  voice,  "  Shame  upon  the  false  stranger ! 
Let  us  burn  his  mill  without  asking  his  leave. 
He  is  a  friend  to  the  French  !  " 

"  Peace  !  "  commanded  the  minister,  "  leave 
him  to  follow  his  own  pleasure.  Be  assured  he 
will  repent  it.  I  grieve  for  his  wife,  our  sister 
Kathinka,  and  her  children."  Then  turning  to 
the  miller,  he  added,  "  The  evil  that  they  may 
meet  with  through  your  selfish  policy  be  upon 
your  own  head  !  " 

The  Russians,  therefore,  left  him,  though  not 
without  many  reproachful  words.  After  some 
hours,  as  the  night  proceeded,  the  French  ar- 
rived. The  want  of  a  bridge  did  not  prevent 
them  from  crossing  the  shallow  stream  ;  but  on 
account  of  the  cannon,  it  was  found  neccssrry 
to  rebuild  it  as  quickly  as  possible.  In  order  to 
accomplish  this,  they  must  have  materials  to 


THE  GRAND  ARMY. 


73 


work  with,  and  the  neighboring  mill  afforded 
all  the  beams  and  wood  they  wanted.  Without 
attending  to  the  pathetic  remonstrances  of  the 
miller,  they  hastened  to  pull  down  the  mill;  and 
they  even  compelled  the  poor  man  to  assist  in 
building  the  bridge,  as  he  was  well  acquainted 
with  the  locality.  Naumau  began  bitterly  to 
repent  that  he  had  not  followed  the  example  of 
his  companions  ;  his  anguish  was  the  greater  as 
he  thought  of  the  probability,  that  whilst  he 
was  thus  laboring  against  his  will,  his  wife  and 
children  might  be  exposed  to  ill-treatment  from 
the  haughty  Frenchmen.  He  attempted  several 
times  to  escape ;  but  was  as  often  driven  back 
from  fear  of  the  soldiers,  who  threatened  to 
shoot  him.  The  soldiers  now  complained  that, 
in  spite  of  the  lighted  torches,  they  could  not 
see  well  enough  to  continue  their  work.  In 
consequence  of  this  complaint  the  officer  in  com- 
mand immediately  ordered  them  to  set  fire  to 
the  mill-house.  The  command  was  obeyed 
amid  cries  of  joy;  and  in  a  few  minutes  the 
burning  mill  shed  a  dazzling  light  over  the 
whole  landscape.  The  distress  of  the  poor 
miller  can  be  imagined ;  for  the  rude  soldiers 
would  not  suffer  him  to  stir  from  the  spot,  but 
7 


74 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


urged  him  with  blows  to  continue  his  work 
without  intermission. 

In  the  meantime  the  regiment  to  which  Au- 
gustus belonged  reached  the  spot.  At  the  same 
time  the  miller's  wife,  with  two  little  children 
in  her  arms,  and  followed  by  her  daughter 
about  eleven  years  old,  rushed  out  of  the  flam- 
ing building. 

"  Marie,"  she  said,  as  soon  as  she  had  placed 
her  precious  charge  in  safety,  "  take  care  of  the 
children.  I  will  see  if  it  is  possible  to  save  any- 
thing    and  she  ran  back  towards  the  flames. 

The  little  ones  screamed  out  after  her, 
"  Mother,  mother,  do  not  leave  us  !  "  It  was 
vain  for  Marie  to  attempt  to  restrain  them ; 
they  broke  from  her  grasp,  and  endeavored  to 
enter  the  house.  Their  mother  met  them  at  the 
door.  "  Away,  my  dear  children,"  she  said, 
"  let  me  try  to  get  the  money-box."  But  her 
entreaties  were  of  no  avail  ;  the  children  clung 
round  her  neck,  and  prevented  her  from  pro- 
ceeding. 

"  Let  me  go  instead,  dear  mother,"  cried 
Marie ;  and  without  waiting  a  reply  she  dis- 
appeared in  the  flaming  house.  The  miller's 
wife  wrung  her  hands  in  speechless  agony  while 
she  waited  the  return  of  her  child.    The  flames 


THE  GRAND  ARMY. 


75 


raged  most  fiercely,  until  the  whole  building 
seemed  enveloped  in  fire.  Nothing  could  be 
seen  of  Marie  :  but  suddenly  her  voice  was 
heard,  "  O,  mother,  save  me;  I  am  burning!" 

The  poor  mother  disengaged  herself  from  her 
children,  and  rushed  to  the  cottage  to  save  her 
daughter.  She  was  forcibly  stopped  by  two 
Frenchmen.  "  Stay  where  you  are,"  they  said  ; 
"  she  is  lost !  "  They  thought  it  was  too  late  to 
help  her,  for  the  poor  girPs  cries  for  assistance 
became  fainter  and  fainter. 

The  mother  literally  writhed  with  anguish  as 
she  redoubled  her  fruitless  efforts  to  escape  from 
the  tight  grasp  of  the  soldiers.  The  two  little 
children  uttered  violent  cries. 

Augustus  could  not  remain  an  uninterested 
spectator  of  this  fearful  scene.  Quick  as  light- 
ning he  escaped  from  the  ranks,  and  was  close 
by  the  mill.  A  French  officer  of  distinction 
endeavored  to  stop  his  progress  ;  the  boy  threw 
his  drum  between  the  officer's  legs  in  such  a 
way  as  to  cause  him  to  fall  at  full  length  upon 
the  ground,  and  then  he  mounted  the  staircase, 
which  had  just  caught  fire.  The  half-stifled  cry 
of  the  little  girl  served  as  a  guide.  Dragging 
her  with  him,  he  leaped,  clambered,  or  crept 
from  one  part  of  the  building  to  another,  for 


1 


76 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


the  flames  prevented  him  from  returning.  At 
length  he  found  himself,  with  his  companion, 
near  the  foundation  of  the  mill,  close  by  the 
wheel  and  the  water.  A  small  vaulted  apart- 
ment, like  a  cellar,  in  which  the  pole  of  the  mill 
rested,  served  as  a  refuge  to  the  adventurers. 
The  flames  raged  above  their  heads,  beams 
crashed,  and  streams  of  fire  poured  down  in  all 
directions,  and  were  extinguished  with  a  hissing 
sound  in  the  river  by  their  side.  Sometimes 
they  thought  they  heard  the  heart-rending  cries 
of  the  miller's  wife,  which  were  always  answered 
by  Marie.  A  long  time  was  passed  in  this 
manner,  the  fire  raging  without  any  abatement 
of  fury.  Nor  was  the  situation  of  the  children 
free  from  danger.  Squeezed  in  a  corner  of  the 
narrow  cell,  they  were  compelled  patiently  to 
wait  the  result ;  and  towards  daybreak  the  fire 
was  extinguished. 

With  the  exception  of  some  few  exclama- 
tions, the  young  prisoners  had  not  spoken  to 
each  other.  The  girl  had  enough  to  do  in 
thinking  of  her  parents,  and  Augustus  felt  anx- 
ious and  uncomfortable  at  the  responsibility  he 
had  incurred  in  leaving  his  regiment ;  the  latter 
had,  however,  remarked  that  his  young  com- 


THE  GRAND  ARMY. 


77 


panion  spoke  good  German ;  and  he  therefore 
concluded  she  was  one  of  his  country-women. 

As  soon  as  it  could  be  done  without  danger, 
Augustus  and  the  little  girl  clambered  into  the 
open  air  over  the  beams  and  smoking  ruins. 
He  anxiously  looked  round  for  his  comrades ; 
but  only  a  waste,  deserted  space  was  to  be  seen. 
Nothing  but  desolation  was  around  them.  The 
fresh  morning  breeze  passed  over  the  ashes  of 
the  village,  sometimes  driving  upwards  a  shower 
of  clear  sparks,  sometimes  white  columns  of 
smoke.  Marie  shouted  with  all  her  strength, 
first  in  German,  then  in  Russe.  She  called 
upon  her  mother,  her  brother  and  sister,  her 
father,  the  neighbors ;  but  no  answer  did  she 
receive  save  the  crackling  of  the  charred  beams 
of  her  former  home.  The  unhappy  child  wan- 
dered among  the  ruins  by  the  side  of  Augustus, 
sobbing  bitterly  as  she  passed  along.  The  boy's 
distress,  too,  increased  every  minute.  It  was 
not  that  he  regretted  his  successful  attempt  to 
save  Marie ;  but  he  was  exceedingly  desirous  of 
rejoining  his  comrades  as  soon  as  possible.  He 
sought  in  vain  for  the  drum  he  had  thrown 
away  ;  and  this  was  an  additional  cause  of  vex- 
ation to  him.  In  the  meantime  it  was  absolutely 
necessary  to  determine  what  course  to  pursue. 

7  * 


78 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


He  endeavored  by  kind  words  to  comfort  and 
soothe  the  sorrowful  little  girl.  He  promised 
to  bring  her  to  her  parents ;  and  then  taking 
her  hand,  they  went  in  the  direction  in  which 
he  knew  the  army  would  proceed.  After  some 
hours'  traveling  he  fell  in  with  a  French  troop, 
who  arrested  him  as  a  deserter,  and  soon  de- 
livered him  up  to  his  regiment.  They  had 
halted  with  the  other  troops  in  a  small  town 
that  had  been  deserted  by  its  inhabitants. 

"  Comrade,"  said  the  soldiers  when  he  came 
within  hearing,  "your  affairs  are  in  a  bad  state; 
you  will  have  some  trouble  to  get  your  neck  out 
of  the  sling ! " 

Augustus  implored  them  to  take  care  of  the 
desolate  Marie,  and  give  her  into  Sergeant 
Holer's  protection,  which  they  promised  faith- 
fully to  do. 


AUGUSTUS  IS  SHOT. 


79 


CHAPTER  IX. 

AUGUSTUS  IS  SHOT. 

The  apartment  into  which  Augustus  was  led 
was  filled  with  officers  selected  from  the  different 
regiments.  His  colonel,  and  the  distinguished 
French  officer  between  whose  legs  he  had 
thrown  the  drum  when  he  rushed  into  the 
miller's  burning  cottage,  were  among  the  num- 
ber. The  greatest  harmony  seemed  to  prevail ; 
merry  jokes  were  passing  on  all  sides ;  and  they 
were  evidently  eating  with  great  relish  the  ex- 
cellent meal  that  had  been  prepared  for  them. 

The  entrance  of  Augustus  did  not  occasion 
the  least  disturbance.  While  the  corporal  was 
making  his  report  to  the  colonel,  Augustus  was 
kept  standing  between  two  soldiers.  At  length 
he  was  summoned  to  come  forward,  after  having 
waited  scarcely  ten  minutes.  On  being  ques- 
tioned, he  could  not  deny  that  he  had  left  the 
1  ranks  of  his  comrades ;  had  thrown  his  drum 
1    between  the  legs  of  a  French  officer  of  the 


80 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


staff ;  and  had  been  taken  prisoner  as  a  deserter. 
The  judge-advocate  informed  him  that  either  of 
these  offences  was  punishable  with  death ; 
"  And,"  addded  he,  "  you  have  not  only  broken 
the  regimental  oath,  which  promised  submis- 
sion, but  you  have  ^been  the  first  to  offend  in 
the  enemy's  territory."  Without  allowing  of 
any  pause  in  the  important  business  of  eating 
and  drinking,  he  then  proceeded  to  pass  sen- 
tence upon  Augustus ;  namely,  thai  he  should 
be  shot  to  death  !  No  one  seemed  to  think  of 
taking  his  tender  age  into  consideration ;  but 
the  matter  was,  on  the  contrary,  conducted  with 
as  much  indifference  as  if  they  were  deciding 
upon  the  death  of  ar  fowl  or  of  a  duck. 

This  indifference  made  Augustus  feel  very 
unhappy,  especially  when  he  thought  of  the 
distress  of  his  parents  as  compared  with  the 
want  of  sympathy  in  his  judges.  Even  his 
colonel's  manner  towards  him  was  changed ;  he 
was  no  longer  kind  and  gracious  in  his  bearing, 
but  he  sat  there  among  the  others  with  a  frown 
upon  his  face,  and  seemed  to  pay  no  attention 
at  all  to  the  prisoner. 

In  vain  poor  Augustus  turned  an  imploring 
glance  towards  him ;  he  took  no  notice  of  the 
mute  supplication. 


AUGUSTUS  IS  SHOT. 


81 


Augustus  could  offer  nothing  in  his  defence, 
except  that  he  was  not  prompted  by  any  evil 
design  in  leaving  the  ranks,  but  simply  by  a 
desire  to  save  the  little  girl  from  the  flames. 
But  the  only  answer  he  received  to  his  simple 
plea  came  from  the  lieutenant  who  on  a  former 
occasion  had  treated  Sergeant  Hoier  with  so 
much  hauteur;  and  he  now  said  angrily,  "Silly 
boy!  do  you  suppose  we  have  marched  into 
Russia  to  save  the  Russians  ?  We  have  come 
to  conquer  and  destroy  them.  Besides,  the  sol- 
dier has  nothing  to  do  but  blindly  to  obey  the 
commands  of  his  superiors  ;  he  has  no  business 
to  trouble  himself  with  other  people's  matters. 
Supposing  even  your  brother  or  your  father 
were  in  the  enemy's  army,  it  would  be  your 
duty  to  endeavor  to  shoot  him  as  if  he  were  a 
stranger ! " 

Poor  Augustus  shuddered  at  the  bare  idea  of 
the  possibility  of  such  a  case.  "No,"  said  he 
to  himself;  "I  would  rather  be  shot  myself 
than  kill  my  dear  father  or  my  brother." 

He  was  now  told  that  he  might  leave  the 
room.  But  he  could  not  do  so  without  taking 
leave  of  the  colonel  who  had  formerly  been  so 
kind  to  him.  He  ran  up  to  him,  kissed  his 
hand,  bathing  it  with  his  tears,  and  thanked 
F  * 


82 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


him  for  the  great  kindness  he  had  shown  him 
up  to  that  time. 

The  colonel  looked  sternly  at  him,  compressed 
his  lips,  and  said  almost  roughly,  "  I  cannot 
help  you,  even  if  I  would ;  your  crime  is  too 
great.  If  you  had  only  offended  me,  I  might 
perhaps  have  forgiven  you.  But  the  fact  that 
you  have  so  insulted  a  French  of&cer  takes 
away  all  your  chance  of  escape." 

With  these  words  he  was  turning  his  back 
on  the  poor  boy ;  but  the  latter  said,"  Oh,  sir, 
I  am  not  going  to  ask  you  for  my  life.  I  have 
to  thank  you  that  they  did  not  shoot  me  two 
months  ago.  But  my  poor  father  and  mother  ! 
Will  you  tell  them  that  I  thought  of  them,  and 
loved  them  always  ;  that  I  send  them  a  thou- 
sand thanks  for  the  care  that  they  have  always 
taken  of  me  ;  and  that  I "  his  voice  trem- 
bled as  he  hesitatingly  uttered  the  words  —  "I 
was  not  very  sorry  to  die  ?  " 

The  colonel  only  answered  with  a  slight  nod 
of  the  head,  then  turned  round  and  swallowed 
a  glass  of  wine. 

"  Captain  Warnech,"  he  then  said,  "you  will 
give  orders  for  the  execution." 

A  side  glance  from  the  French  general  in- 


AUGUSTUS  IS  SHOT. 


83 


duced  another  French  officer  to  say,  "  I  will 
accompany  your  captain." 

He  bowed  an  assent,  and  they  left  the  apart- 
ment with  Augustus  and  the  guard.  They 
found  Sergeant  Hoier  awaiting  tliem  outside 
Avith  twenty-four  men,  four  of  whom  were  pro- 
vided Avith  spades  and  shovels.  A  drummer 
from  time  to  time  beating  a  muffled  tattoo 
opened  the  procession  which  was  to  lead  Augus- 
tus to  his  death. 

A  little  beyond  the  last  house  in  the  town, 
the  men  who  were  provided  with  spades  pro- 
ceeded to  dig  a  hole,  to  serve  as  a  grave  for 
poor  Augustus ;  and  the  earth  was  soon  shovelled 
up  by  its  side.  While  this  was  going  on,  the 
soldiers  w^ith  their  muskets  stood  round  the 
poor  boy  in  gloomy  silence.  He  likewise  did 
not  utter  a  word,  one  endeavored  to  com- 
for  him ;  no  kind  hand  wiped  away  the  large 
drops  of  perspiration  that  stood  on  his  pale 
face;  no  minister  was  there  to  bless  him  and 
pray  with  him.  •  Hoier  was  evidently  strug- 
gling with  himself.  Looking  at  the  young 
prisoner,  who  stood  with  his  eyes  fixed  on  the 
ground,  except  when  he  occasionally  raised 
them  to  Heaven,  he  stroked  his  beard,  as  if 
undecided  what  to  do. 


84 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


"  As  sure  as  my  name  is  Christopher,"  mut- 
tered he,  "I  can't  keep  it  from  the  poor  boy. 
The  fright  might  do  him  as  much  harm  as  our 
balls.  Let  ten  men,"  added  he  aloud,  "  step 
forward  to  fire ;  if  the  prisoner  does  not  fall, 
let  ten  more  step  up,  and  do  their  work  better. 
Take  aim  as  near  the  middle  of  the  body  as  you 
can,  and  then  you  can't  very  well  miss.  Now, 
my  poor  fellow,"  said  he  to  Augustus,  "  come, 
I  must  lead  you  to  your  resting-place  !  " 

These  words  roused  Augustus  from  his  stu- 
por. Summoning  all  his  fortitude  he  said, 
"  Farewell,  comrades ;  take  a  sure  aim,  that  I 
may  sufiPer  as  little  as  possible." 

"  Yes,  yes,"  they  cried  with  one  voice. 

Hoier  now  led  the  prisoner  up  to  the  heap 
of  sand.  As  they  were  walking,  he  said  kindly 
to  him,  "Have  you  anything  upon  your  mind?" 

Augustus  heaved  a  deep  sigh.  "  No,"  said 
he  slowly  ;  but  he  soon  recollected  himself,  and 
quickly  added,  "  Yes,  indeed  ;  the  Russian  girl 
—  I  arn  paying  dear  for  saving  her.  But  pro- 
mise me,  Father  Hoier,  to  take  care  of  her ; 
and  when  you  can,  to  give  her  up  to  her 
parents." 

"  As  true  as  Christopher  is  alive  it  shall  be 
done,"  returned  the  sergeant. 


AUGUSTUS  IS  SHOT. 


85 


They  had  now  reached  the  heap  of  earth. 
"  Kneel  down,  my  poor  boy,"  commanded  Ho- 
ier ;  "  I  will  bmd  your  eyes."  He  drew  out 
his  blue  handkerchief,  and  laid  it  over  his  eyes. 
Augustus  could  not  forbear  trembling. 

Perceiving  this  the  sergeant  again  muttered 
to  himself,    I  can't  help  it,  colonel.    It's  no 

use  trying  not  to   Whatever  you  may  say, 

I  can't  help  it."  He  continued  aloud,  "  You 
need  not  think  of  making  your  last  prayer  to 
God  now,  my  man.  And  yet,  perhaps,  you  had 
better  say  a  short  prayer,  that  this  evil  matter 
may  end  well." 

Augustus  clasped  his  hands  together,  and 
with  trembling  lips  but  great  devotion  repeated 
the  Lord's  Prayer. 

"  Singular  !  "  said  Hoier  to  himself,  "  that 
those  who  are  going  to  die  should  say  the  Lord's 
Prayer,  when  they  don't  want  their  daily  bread 
any  longer.  I  suppose,  in  their  fright  and  dis- 
tress, they  can  think  of  no  prayer  but  what 
they  learnt  when  they  were  little  children. 
But  what  signifies? — the  great  God  knows  best 
what  they  want." 

AYhen  Augustus  had  finished,  the  sergeant 
said  a  few  words  to  him  in  a  low  voice,  which 
made  him  tremble  more  violently  than  before. 

8 


86  THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 

This  annoyed  Hoier  very  much.  "  Comrade," 
said  he  to  the  boy,  "don't  be  a  coward.  Kneel 
stiff  and  straight,  so  that  you  may  not  fall 
before  the  balls  reach  you,  and  so  lengthen  your 
trouble."  He  turned  to  his  men,  who  had 
loaded  their  muskets  in  readiness  to  obey  his 
commands.  Ten  men  stepped  to  within  about 
twelve  paces  of  Augustus.  The  captain  com- 
manded, "  Shoulder  arms  —  present  —  fire  !" 

Pu — ff  went  the  ten  muskets ;  Augustus 
sank  lifeless  upon  the  heap  of  sand,  and  fell 
into  the  grave  that  had  been  prepared  for  him. 
Quick  as  thought  Hoier  sprang  to  him,  drew 
the  handkerchief  from  his  head,  and  examin- 
ing the  body,  cried,  "  AYell  done,  boys  !  no  less 
than  six  balls  have  passed  through  his  breast." 

With  the  assistance  of  one  of  the  spade- 
bearers  he  placed  the  body  straight  in  the 
grave,  and  then  they  labored  at  shovelling  the 
heap  of  sand  into  it. 

Captain  Warnech  now  took  the  arm  of  the 
French  captain,  who  had  been  a  most  attentive 
spectator  of  all  that  had  passed ;  and  they 
walked  with  rapid  steps  to  the  town,  hoping 
doubtless  still  to  be  in  time  to  enjoy  their  share 
of  the  dinner. 

They  were  no  sooner  out  of  sight  than  the 


AUGUSTUS  IS  SHOT. 


87 


laborers  left  off  filling  up  the  grave,  which 
indeed  they  had  in  the  first  instance  only  pre- 
tended to  do.  The  body  of  Augustus  still  lay 
uncovered  with  sand.  The  other  soldiers  drew 
near  the  grave,  and  formed  a  close  circle  round 
it.  The  first  thing  they  did  was  to  put  out  of 
their  mouths  the  bullets  which  they  had  secretly 
bitten  from  their  cartridges  before  firing ;  and 
then  all  joined  in  a  hearty  laugh  at  the  idea  of 
the  trick  they  had  played  upon  the  French. 

"  That's  what  you  call  shooting  in  the  French 
fashion,"  said  one.  "  The  boasters  themselves 
taught  us  how  to  do  it.  How  many  of  their 
people  have  they  shot  who  ran  away  afterwards 
quite  safe  and  sound  !    'Tis  only  tit  for  tat." 

"  The  French  colonel,"  chimed  in  a  second, 
"  seemed  to  fear  something  of  the  kind.  That 
was  the  reason  he  sent  one  of  his  people." 

A  great  many  merry  speeches  passed  among 
the  soldiers,  for  all  were  rejoiced  at  the  success 
that  had  attended  their  manoeuvre.  Hoier,  too, 
was  in  the  best  of  humors  ;  and  taking  the  hand 
of  Augustus,  who  still  lay  apparently  dead,  he 
said  with  a  solemn  voice,  "  My  boy,  I  desire 
you  to  stand  up." 

But  Augustus  did  not  obey  ;  he  lay  in  a  deep 
swoon,  stiff  and  pale. 


88 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


"  Silly  boy ! "  said  Hoier,  drawing  a  flask 
from  his  pocket,  "  to  think  so  much  of  a  trifle. 
When  you  have  been  in  a  dozen  battles,  you 
will  call  such  a  thing  as  this  mere  child's  play." 

So  saying,  he  rubbed  the  poor  boy's  face  and 
temples  with  spirits.  As  he  gradually  revived, 
he  found  himself  indeed  alive.  No  bullet  had 
passed  through  him.  His  comrades  had  indeed 
fired  at  him,  but  it  was  with  blank  cartridges  ; 
and  this  was  what  Hoier  had  told  him  would  be 
the  case,  but  he  had  not  believed  what  he  said. 

Sobbing  with  joy,  he  shook  hands  with  his 
comrades.  "  But  does  the  colonel  know  about 
it  ?  "  he  inquired  ;  "  he  seemed  so  angry  with 
me." 

"  That  was  only  in  appearance,"  answered 
Hoier  ;  "  because  the  Frenchmen  were  watching 
him.  Do  you  understand  me  ?  We  dared  not 
have  acted  so  without  his  consent.  *  Hoier,' 
says  he  to  me,  *  be  well  prepared  ;  I  could  never 
be  happy  again  if  that  good  lad  were  sent  to  the 
dogs  for  performing  such  a  noble  action.' " 

"  How  kind  of  the  colonel ! "  said  Augustus 
joyfully.  "  I  would  go  through  fire  and  water 
for  him  ;  and  for  you,  too.  Father  Hoier ;  and 
indeed,  comrades,  for  you  all." 

"Well,"  laughed  Hoier,  "it  comes  with  a 


AUGUSTUS  IS  SHOT. 


89 


good  grace  from  you  to  talk  of  running  through 
fire  for  us,  for  you  are  evidently  a  first-rate 
hand  at  it.  But  hum,  hum  at  present ;  your 
kind  offers  will  do  us  no  good,  for  you  must 
leave  us." 

"Leave  you?"  said  Augustus,  quite  frightened. 

"  Yes ;  you  must  go,  and  that  directly,"  re- 
turned Hoier.  "  How  could  you  think  of  any- 
thing else?  If  you  stayed  here,  the  whole 
affair  would  come  to  light,  and  our  colonel  would 
get  into  hot  water.  Indeed,  if  we  stay  here 
much  longer  we  shall  excite  suspicion.  Here's 
an  old  smock-frock  which  you  can  draw  over 
your  uniform.  And  yonder  —  look  there  — 
yonder,  behind  that  garden-wall,  you  will  find 
your  little  friend  waiting  for  you.  You  had 
better  go  with  her  to  the  Eussians.  If  you  do 
not  like  being  with  them,  and  can  find  no  other 
way  of  getting  home,  you  can  at  any  rate  join 
us  again  when  the  affair  of  to-day  is  a  little 
forgotten." 

Augustus  took  a  sorrowful  leave  of  his  com- 
panions ;  begged  Hoier  to  tell  the  colonel  how 
grateful  he  was ;  and  then  hastened  away  imme- 
diately to  join  the  little  Russian  maiden. 

He  discovered  her  where  Hoier  had  said  ;  and 
having  found  a  safe  place  of  concealment  for 

8  * 


90  THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 

the  night,  they  turned  their  footsteps  at  the 
earliest  dawn  towards  the  burned  village,  where 
Marie  hoped  to  discover  some  traces  of  her 
parents. 


]■ 


COMBAT  WITH  HIMSELF,  A  WOLF,  AND  DOG.  91 


CHAPTER  X. 

AUGUSTUS'  COMBAT  WITH  HIMSELF,  A  WOLF, 
AND  A  DOG. 

Although  his  uniform,  was  concealed  by  a 
smock-frock,  Augustus  did  not  dare  to  make  use 
of  the  common  highway,  for  fear  of  being 
recognised  and  again  taken  prisoner.  He  and 
Marie,  therefore,  chose  the  more  unfrequented 
paths,  though  taking  care  at  the  same  time  to 
keep  the  high  road  in  sight,  and  to  avoid  the 
troops  that  were  marching  upon  it. 

The  distance  between  the  two  places  was  not 
very  great,  but  the  fugitives  had  to  make  so 
many  turnings  and  windings  that  they  increased 
it  more  than  half.  Augustus,  however,  did  not 
feel  the  slightest  fatigue.  He  was  so  rejoiced 
at  having  escaped  a  violent  death,  that  he  would 
have  run  any  distance  to  place  himself  in  safety. 
But  he  was  afraid  of  fatiguing  the  little  girl, 
who  of  course  was  not  accustomed  to  such  long 
journeys  on  foot  as  he  was.     He  therefore 


92 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


repeatedly  stopped  to  rest,  and  inquire  how 
Marie  felt.  She  always  denied  being  tired ;  but 
Augustus  knew  very  well  it  was  her  anxiety 
about  her  parents  that  kept  her  in  an  excited, 
feverish  state,  and  gave  her  for  the  time  un- 
natural strength.  It  was  now  mid-day,  and 
the  sun  burned  more  fiercely  than  Augustus 
imagined  it  could  do  in  Russia.  AVhenever 
they  came  near  a  spring,  a  brook,  or  even  a  pool 
of  standing  water,  they  quenched  their  thirst ; 
but  neither  of  them  thought  of  eating.  At 
length  they  saw  the  ruins  of  the  burned  village 
in  the  distance.  The  sun  was  setting,  and  a 
splendid  glow  gilded  the  sky,  as  well  as  the 
land,  which  bore  the  sad  marks  of  war  and 
oppression.  Marie  hastened  more  quickly  than 
ever  to  the  remains  of  the  village  that  had  once 
been  her  home.  Augustus  followed,  begging 
her  to  be  cautious.  This  advice  was  not  needed, 
however,  for  no  human  being  was  to  be  per- 
ceived in  any  direction.  Poor  Marie  sank  upon 
the  threshold  of  the  mill-house  weeping  bitterly. 
The  threshold  was  almost  the  only  part  that 
remained  entire.  Augustus  sitting  down  by  her 
side,  gave  himself  up  to  his  thoughts.  Where 
could  those  thoughts  turn  but  to  his  beloved 
home,  and  the  loving  parents  he  had  left?  The 


COMBAT  WITH  HIMSELF,  A  WOLF,  AND  DOG.  93 

road  that  led  to  them  now  lay  before  him  —  he 
was  free  —  and  there  was  no  one  to  prevent 
him  from  returning  to  his  native  country.  His 
heart  bounded  with  joy  at  the  thought.  The 
hundreds  of  miles  that  separated  him  from  it, 
the  perils  of  the  journey,  and  his  total  want  of 
money,  were  no  obstacles  in  his  eyes ;  nothing 
dismayed  him.  Even  if  he  should  have  to  beg 
his  bread,  he  would  joyfully  set  out,  with  home 
in  prospect. 

"  O,  dear  father,  mother,  Bertha,  and  Ro- 
bert!" he  cried  out,  leaping  up  as  he  spoke,  and 
stretching  out  his  arms  ;  "  what  joy  to  see  you 
all  again  !" 

A  low  suppressed  sob  by  his  side  woke  him 
from  his  delightful  dream  of  happiness,  and  re- 
minded him  that  he  was  not  alone  —  that  he 
was  not  his  own  master. 

His  gladness  was  now  changed  to  bitter  sor- 
row. He  looked  mournfully  at  his  young  com- 
panion, who,  like  him,  was  repeating  the  beloved 
words,  father  and  mother,  while  she  shed  scald- 
ing tears  at  their  loss.  A  powerful  conflict  now 
took  place  in  the  little  boy's  mind  ;  could  he, 
dare  he  venture  to  commence  such  a  journey 
with  Marie ;  and  would  it  be  right  to  take  her 
away  forever  from  her  native  country  and  from 


94 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


lier  parents  ?  Or  should  he  leave  her  alone  to 
find  her  way  to  them?  Plelpless  and  weak, 
would  not  her  destruction  be  almost  certain  ? 
He  looked  compassionately  and  kindly  at  the 
weeping  child.  Had  he  not  saved  her  life  at 
the  risk  of  losing  his  own  ?  And  should  he  do 
nothing  more,  after  doing  so  much,  and  so  make 
that  life  valueless  ?  Augustus  fought  boldly 
with  the  temptation  to  return  home,  and  at 
length  he  conquered. 

"  Do  not  cry,  ]\Iarie,"  he  said  boldly  and 
cheerfully  ;  "  w^e  will  go  now  and  look  for  your 
parents  somewhere  else.  Shall  we  try  the  place 
to  which  you  said  the  other  inhabitants  of  the 
village  had  gone?  I  think  that  will  be  the 
best  way." 

Augustus  had  strengthened  his  soul,  and  he 
now  wanted  to  do  the  same  to  his  body.  He 
felt  the  calls  of  hunger  unusually  loud ;  but 
how  should  he  quiet  them  ? 

"  What  have  you  in  your  little  bundle  ?  "  he 
suddenly  inquired  of  Marie,  as  he  at  that  mo- 
ment caught  sight  of  a  small  wallet  that  hung 
at  her  side. 

"  The  man  with  the  thick  beard  gave  it  to 
me,"  answered  INIarie,  wiping  away  her  tears 
with  the  corner  of  her  apron. 


COMBAT  WITH  HIMSELF,  A  WOLF,  AND  DOG.  95 

"That  must  have  been  Hoier,"  said  Augustus, 
as  he  opened  the  bundle.  He  found  just  what 
he  had  expected  —  bread  and  meat.  Marie  and 
he  took  a  hearty  meal.  The  sorrows  of  the 
young  are  violent,  but  they  do  not  last  long. 
The  youthful  pair  were  quite  refreshed  and  in- 
vigorated as  they  left  the  village  and  wandered 
in  search  of  the  inhabitants.  The  evening  grew 
darker,  the  stars  appeared,  but  it  still  remained 
warm,  and  the  air  was  clear.  No  sound  was  to 
be  heard,  but  perfect  stillness  reigned  around. 
The  wanderers  walked  on  cheerfully. 

"  Ah,  see  !"  said  Augustus  joyfully,  pointing 
with  his  hand  to  an  object  in  the  middle  of 
their  path  ;  "  that  is  a  good  sign  ;  where  you  see 
a  dog,  you  may  be  pretty  sure  to  find  men. 
There  is  one  !  it  must  be  a  shepherd's  dog." 

Marie  looked  up,  but  immediately  drew  him 
back,  though  she  did  not  seem  much  frightened 
as  she  said  in  a  low  voice,  "  That  is  a  wolf,  and 
not  a  dog !" 

"  A  wolf !"  exclaimed  Augustus  with  horror ; 
and  he  put  his  hand  to  his  left  side,  where  he 
'  was  accustomed  to  wear  his  sword,  but  he  found 
none.  It  had  been  taken  from  him  when  he 
was  made  prisoner.    "  A  wolf !  we  are  lost ! 


96 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


But  let  US  run  away ;  perhaps  he  has  not 
observed  us." 

Marie  now  became  affected  with  his  fear  ;  but 
she  said,  rather  anxiously,  "  My  father  told  me, 
if  any  one  runs  away  from  them,  the  wolves  are 
sure  to  run  after  them." 

"  But,"  returned  Augustus,  "  what  shall  we 
do  ?  Shall  we  let  him  eat  us  up  without  trying 
to  prevent  it  ?" 

"  Oh,  no  !"  said  Marie  almost  laughing ;  "  it 
isn't  so  bad  as  that.  My  father  says  it  is  only 
in  winter,  and  that  in  the  most  severe  seasons, 
that  a  wolf  attacks  men.  And  then  only  when 
he  is  terribly  hungry ;  but  if  he  were  so  now 
he  would  howl,  and  not  sit  there  so  quietly." 

Augustus  stood  undetermined  what  course  to 
pursue.  He  looked  at  the  wolf ;  the  wolf  looked 
at  him.  At  last  he  was  tired  of  this  occupa- 
tion. ,  "  We  can't  stand  here  the  whole  night," 
said  he  to  Marie ;  "  let  us  move  a  little  away 
from  him." 

"  But  suppose  he  should  come  after  us  ? " 
said  Marie. 

Augustus  was  almost  at  his  wit's  end ;  "  I 
won't  wait  any  longer,"  at  length  he  said  im- 
patiently. "  Am  I  not  a  soldier  ?  Did  not  I 
run  into  the  fire  one  day,  and  was  shot  at  the 


COMBAT  WITH  HIMSELF,  A  WOLF,  AND  DOG.  97 

next?  And  shall  I  be  afraid  of  a  stupid  wolf? 
Stay,  old  fellow,  I  will  teach  you  to  open  that 
great  mouth  of  yours  !"  He  picked  up  a  heavy 
stone,  and  added,  "  Now,  Marie,  if  the  wolf 
should  spring  at  me,  run  away  as  fast  you  can. 
While  I  fight  with  him,  you  can  get  into  a 
place  of  safety.   Oh,  if  I  only  had  my  sword !" 

As  he  spoke  these  words  he  threw  the  stone 
at  the  wolf.  It  struck  his  head  with  a  hollow 
sound.  Augustus  waited  rather  anxiously  the 
effect  of  his  proceeding.  A  much  heavier 
weight  than  the  stone  he  had  thrown  at  the 
wolf  fell  from  his  heart  as  he  saw  the  fearful 
animal  slowly  rise  and  slink  away  with  his  tail 
between  his  legs. 

"  Bravo !  bravo !"  shouted  Augustus  quite 
relieved.  "  Just  let  him  dare  to  Look  at  us 
again.  I  will  break  his  head  for  him  the  next 
time !" 

As  they  pursued  their  journey,  they  looked 
round  on  all  sides  for  the  wolf,  but  it  was  no- 
where to  be  seen.  Augustus  w^as  in  high  spirits, 
more  especially  as  he  soon  after  found  a  thick 
cudgel,  with  which  he  armed  himself. 

"  There said  he  joyfully.  "  Now  I  am 
well  armed !  I  should  like  to  beat  such  a  tat- 
too on  his  skull  that  he  would  never  forget  it." 
9  -  G 


98 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY 


As  soon  as  Augustus'  warlike  spirit  had  a 
little  evaporated,  and  given  place  to  more  sobri- 
ety of  mood,  he  said,  "  Marie,  can  you  see  no 
village  or  house  ?  Is  there  no  light  visible 
any  where  ?" 

"  No,"  returned  Marie  yawning. 

"  I  suppose,"  continued  Augustus,  "  that 
black  thing  before  us  is  a  forest  ?" 

"  Yes,  it  is  a  forest,"  answered  the  little  girl. 
"  Our  way  lies  directly  through  it." 

"  Suppose,"  said  Augustus,  "  we  should  find 
a  number  of  wolves  there,  with  one  blow  of 
my  "  

"  Bow,  wow  !"  barked  a  huge  dog,  running 
towards  them. 

"  Stand  back !"  cried  Augustus,  raising  his 
cudgel ;  "  three  steps  forward,  and  you  are  a 
dead  dog !" 

The  dog  certainly  could  not  have  understood 
the  language  he  spoke.  Without  heeding  in 
the  slightest  degree  the  threats  and  bearing  of 
Augustus,  he  rushed  furiously  upon  him.  Down 
went  the  stick ;  but  the  dog  very  cleverly 
avoided  the  blow,  and  seized  the  other  end  of 
the  cudgel  between  his  teeth.  Augustus  could 
not  get  it  away  from  him.  On  the  contrary, 
the  dog  kept  biting  higher  and  higher  up  the 


COMBAT  WITH  HIMSELF,  A  WOLF,  AND  DOG.  99 

stick,  SO  that  at  last  Augustus  was  obliged  to 
leave  hold,  as  the  dog  had  nearly  reached  his 
hand.  The  latter  then  jumped  upon  his  bresist, 
and  threw  him  down. 

Poor  Augustus  was  very  much  startled,  and 
began  to  fear  that  this  time  he  should  not 
escape.  But  the  dog  did  not  attempt  to  hurt 
him.  It  stood  quietly  over  him ;  only  at  the 
slightest  movement  on  the  part  of  the  boy  it 
showed  its  teeth  and  snarled. 

"  Lie  perfectly  still,"  said  Marie,  "  and  he 
will  not  hurt  you." 

Augustus  had  no  choice;  he  was  compelled  to 
follow  her  advice.  Just  then  he  heard  approach- 
ing footsteps,  and  a  voice  addressing  them  in 
the  Russian  language. 

Marie  answered  quickly  and  fearlessly.  On 
looking  up,  Augustus  saw  two  men  standing 
before  him,  armed  with  muskets.  At  their 
desire  Marie  told  Augustus  to  rise.  Reddening 
from  shame  at  having  been  conquered  by  a  dog, 
the  boy  stood  up.  He  followed  the  men  with- 
out saying  a  word,  while  they  spoke  with  Marie. 
On  entering  a  dell  in  the  forest  they  found  a 
fire  surrounded  by  a  number  of  wild-looking 
Russians.  All  rose  as  the  little  wanderers 
entered  the  circle.   Augustus  gazed  with  a  feel- 


100 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


ing  of  apprehension  at  their  suspicious  and 
fierce  countenances,  and  he  stood  within  the  cir- 
cle like  a  criminal.  But  Marie  was  his  guar- 
dian angel.  She  told  the  whole  history  to  the 
Russians  of  all  that  had  passed  on  the  preceding 
days.  How  much  Augustus  now  wished  that 
he  understood  Russe !  One  comfort  was,  that 
Marie  could  interpret  everything  to  him.  He 
learned  from  her  that  neither  her  parents  nor 
any  of  her  acquaintances  were  of  the  party,  and 
that  these  men  were  lying  in  Avait  for  any 
Frenchmen  they  might  find  alone,  that  they 
might  kill  them.  He,  however,  had  nothing  to 
fear,  if  he  would  only  promise  not  to  go  over  to 
the  enemy.  This  Marie  had  taken  upon  herself 
already  to  promise. 

The  little  travelers  were  beginning  to  be 
overpow^ered  with  sleep  and  fatigue.  Couches 
of  dried  leaves  were  prepared  for  them,  when, 
covered  with  a  few  clothes,  they  slept  until  the 
morning. 


THE  SURPRISE. 


101 


CHAPTER  XI. 

THE  SURPRISE. 

Augustus  now  taught  the  band  of  Eussian 
peasants  to  act  as  drummers,  the  drums  they 
used  being  of  a  very  rough  kind.  Marie  trans- 
lated his  directions.  The  drummer's  pupils 
raised  a  fearful  noise  with  their  first  attempts. 

"  I  wish  friend  Hoier  could  see  me,"  said 
Augustus  laughing.  "  How  surprised  he  would 
be  to  find  me  turned  drummer  again  !  But  I 
must  get  credit  by  my  scholars.  I  hope  in  a 
short  time  they  will  be  able  to  imitate  me." 

So  chattered  our  little  friend  the  drumming- 
master.  But  we  must  now,  in  a  few  words, 
inform  our  readers  how  our  hero  came  to  play 
such  a  part. 

After  the  two  little  wanderers  had  left  the 
men  in  the  forest,  they  traveled  from  place  to 
place  in  search  of  Marie's  parents ;  but  all  in 
vain.  At  first,  wherever  they  went,  they  were 
amply  supplied  with  food,  though  their  unsettled 

9  * 


102 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


and  useless  life  wearied  Augustus  exceedingly. 
Before  long,  however,  what  with  the  ravages 
made  by  the  enemy,  and  the  destruction  made 
by  the  peasants  themselves  to  prevent  the 
French  from  obtaining  supplies,  food  became 
very  scarce,  and  the  poor  boy  and  girl  had  to 
encounter  many  unkind  looks  and  hard  words 
when  they  begged  for  something  to  eat.  In  the 
meantime  bands  of  Russians  beo-an  to  assemble 
from  all  quarters,  in  obedience  to  the  emperor's 
command,  to  range  themselves  under  his  stan- 
dard, and  oppose  the  hated  enemy.  The  wan- 
derers arrived  at  one  of  these  appointed  rendez- 
vous. The  arrival  of  Augustus,  and  his  skill 
as  a  drummer,  were  not  long  a  secret.  The 
Russian  authorities  gave  him  the  choice  of  being 
treated  as  a  prisoner  of  war,  or  of  adopting 
Russia  for  his  country,  and  assisting  in  its 
defence.  He  resolved  upon  the  latter;  and  that 
the  more  readily,  because  all  that  was  required 
of  him  was  the  exercise  of  his  skill  as  a  drum- 
mer. He  and  Marie,  therefore,  had  quarters 
assigned  them ;  he  received  food  and  pay  in  the 
Russian  service,  and,  as  we  have  seen,  soon 
commenced  playing  the  master  updn  a  small 
scale. 

Marie  was  the  more  easily  consoled  for  the 


THE  SURPRISE. 


103 


absence  of  her  parents,  because  she  loved  Au- 
gustus as  if  he  were  her  brother,  and  he  took 
quite  a  father's  care  of  her.  Many  weeks  passed 
away  in  this  manner.  But  gradually  poor  Au- 
gustus became  a  prey  to  most  grievous  home- 
sickness. Whole  nights  he  could  not  sleep, 
from  a  yearning  to  see  his  native  country,  and 
his  beloved  friends  once  more.  He  could  not 
reconcile  himself  to  the  Russian  manners  and 
customs.  Every  day  he  saw  the  knout  cruelly 
inflicted  upon  many  military  delinquents.  Nay, 
even  the  officers  themselves  were  sometimes 
obliged  patiently  to  submit  to  a  box  on  the  ear 
from  those  who  happened  to  be  above  them. 
Often  he  trembled  for  his  own  back,  though 
he  had  fortunately  escaped  hitherto. 

One  evening,  as  usual,  he  had  fallen  asleep 
thinking  of  his  distant  home  ;  he  dreamed  that 
he  was  in  his  native  town,  when  peace  had  just 
been  proclaimed.  The  streets  were  full  of  peo- 
ple, rejoicing  and  shouting  with  delight.  The 
thundering  of  cannon  and  the  pealing  of  bells 
could  be  heard.  Suddenly  the  noise  became 
louder  and  more  deafening ;  the  firing  appeared 
to  be  nearer  ;  the  windows  shook  with  the  clat- 
ter; a  bright  light  seemed  to  surround  the 


104 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


dreamer.  He  heard  the  piercing  cry  of  a  child, 
and  he  awoke. 

Marie  stood  crying  by  his  bedside,  pulling 
him  with  all  her  strength ;  the  little  room  was 
illuminated  as  if  with  the  rays  of  the  mid^day 
sun  ;  angry  voices  sounded  from  below,  mingled 
with  cries  of  agony ;  bullets  w^hizzed  through 
the  crashing  windows  ;  and  the  street  seemed 
alive  with  noise,  confusion,  and  fighting. 

"  O  Augustus,  Augustus sobbed  the  little 
girl,  "  I  am  so  frightened ;  the  dreadful  war  is 
come Augustus  Was  yet  scarcely  awake.  He 
rubbed  his  eyes,  and  first  stared  at  the  trembling 
Marie,  then  at  the  burning  houses  opposite. 

"  Oh  stay  —  stay  !  don't  go  !"  said  Marie  ; 
trying  to  pull  him  back  as  he  went  towards  the 
window. 

"  They  are  our  people  I"  shouted  Augustus, 
looking  out ;  "  that  is  my  regiment — comrades ! 
Hoier !  I  am  here  too  !"  He  ran  down ;  Marie 
ran  after  him. 

AVhen  they  arrived  at  the  open  front  door 
that  led  into  the  street,  and  were  passing  out,  a 
soldier  whom  Augustus  recognized  as  one  of  the 
company  to  which  he  belonged,  rushed  before 
them.  "  Comrade  !"  the  boy  joyfully  cried 
out ;   but  the  comrade's  fury  prevented  his 


THE  SURPRISE. 


105 


either  seeing  or  hearing.  He  looked  so  fierce 
and  so  savage  that  Marie,  quite  terrified,  in- 
stinctively shrank  back,  and  pulling  Augustus 
with  her,  they  both  fell  to  the  ground.  It  was 
a  fortunate  fall  for  them ;  for  the  soldier  had 
really  pointed  his  bayonet  at  them.  But  im- 
agining that  he  had  struck  them  down,  he  ran 
on.  Augustus  and  Marie  rose,  stunned  by  their 
fall ;  the  former  now  saw  at  a  little  distance  his 
old  protector  the  colonel  upon  his  horse,  and 
surrounded  by  his  people. 

Poor  Augustus  called  to  him  joyfully  and 
imploringly.  The  colonel  must  have  heard 
him,  but  what  was  his  reply  ? 

"  Forward  —  forward,  my  brave  fellows  ! 
Down  with  everything  that  stops  the  way ! 
Spare  no  one  !  Give  no  quarter  !  Forward  — 
forward 

What  a  change  in  him  who  was  "formerly  so 
kind !  Augustus  could  not  understand  it.  As 
circumstances  were  so  altered,  he  thought  it 
most  prudent  to  get  out  of  the  way  of  the 
tumult.  With  great  difficulty  he  got  back  to 
liis  quarters,  which  were  now  forsaken  by  all 
the  other  inhabitants.  Full  of  thought  he 
cowered  down  behind  the  door.  "  Can  it  be," 
thought  he,  "that  I  am  so  altered  that  my  com- 


106  THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 

radas  do  not  know  me?  Or  do  they  believe 
that  I  am  really  gone  over  to  the  enemy?  What 
would  Hoier  have  done  I  wonder  ?" 

Scarcely  had  he  uttered  the  words  before  the 
very  man  entered  the  house,  followed  by  several 
others. 

"  Hoier — Hoier  !  "  cried  the  boy  as  he  ex- 
tended his  arms  towards  him.  But  even  Hoier 
raised  his  musket,  and  would  have  shot  the 
supposed  Russian  had  not  Augustus  called  out, 
"  I  am  Augustus  Werner,  your  drummer !" 

The  sergeant  let  his  weapon  fall  upon  hear- 
ing these  words,  and  said  with  astonishment, 
"What!  You  here?  How's  this?  I  shouldn't 
have  known  you." 

"  Well,"  said  Augustus,  "  you  must  all  have 
changed  very  much  in  the  short  time  we  have 
been  separated.  Stiefel  of  our  company,  who 
was  the  first  I  met,  would  have  run  me  through 
with  his  bayonet ;  the  colonel  would  have  let 
them  trample  me  down ;  and  even  you.  Father 
Hoier,"  

"  Ha  —  ha — ha  !"  laughed  the  sergeant ;  "  it 
is  plain  enough  you  are  quite  a  green-horn  in 
the  noble  art  of  war.  We  are  just  the  same  as 
ever.  And  what  makes  us  seem  so  different  to 
you  is  merely  the  rage  of  fighting,  which  pre- 


THE  SURPRISE. 


107 


vents  us  from  hearing  or  seeing.  "When  we 
fight,  we  thrust  everything  out  of  our  way  that 
opposes  us,  or  that  does  not  not  wear  our  colors. 
We  should  not  even  spare  our  fathers  or  our 
brothers.  We  never  look  first  to  see  who  he  is ; 
we  strike,  shoot,  stab,  thrust,  rush  blindly  on  ; 
the  more  we  kill  the  better  !" 

"  But,"  inquired  Augustus,  "  what  has  put 
you  in  such  a  rage  ?  ISTo  one  yesterday  knew 
of  you  being  so  near ;  and  I  am  pretty  sure  they 
were  all  quietly  in  their  beds  last  night." 

"Eight  enough,"  returned  Hoier  gaily.  "We 
surprised  them  when  they  were  sound  asleep ; 
and  that  they  might  have  fires  in  their  rooms, 
we  burned  their  houses  over  their  heads  !" 

"  Poor  men  ! "  said  Augustus.  "  They  have 
been  very  kind  to  me,  and  they  never  did  you 
any  harm." 

"  That  is  true,"  replied  Hoier ;  "  but  all  is 
fair  in  war." 

"  But  why  should  there  be  war  ?"  asked  the 
boy.  "  Here  we  have  marched  hundreds  of 
miles  just  to  murder  men  we  never  saw  in  our 
lives  before." 

"  Hold  your  tongue,  you  foolish  boy  !  "  said 
Hoier  angrily.  "  Don't  reason  ;  a  soldier  has 
no  business  to  reason  —  he  must  obey.  The 


108  THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 

Emperor  Napoleon  has  said  'There  must  be  war 
— the  Russians  are  your  enemies and  the  sol- 
dier's duty  is  to  fall  upon  them  without  mercy. 
But  should  the  Emperor  say  to-morrow,  '  Stay  ! 
there  is  peace.  Sheath  your  swords — the  Rus- 
sians are  your  friends.'  Hurrah!  Then  'twould 
be  *  brother  Russians '  instead.  '  Shake  hands, 
old  boys — we  are  comrades  !' " 

Still  Augustus  was  not  convinced,  and  he 
could  not  refrain  from  adding,  "  I  always  thought 
it  was  impossible  to  love  or  hate  others  at  the 
word  of  command." 

"All  is  possible  with  jSTapoleon,"  answered 
Hoier.  "  There  never  was  his  equal.  A  few 
words  from  him  do  more  than  a  hundred  can- 
nons from  others.  Perhaps,  too,  even  I  shall 
succeed  in  winning  a  long  red  ribbon  with  a 
white  cross  upon  it."  And  he  pointed  to  his 
breast,  as  if  in  imagination  he  saw  himself 
decorated  with  the  cross  of  the  legion  of  honor. 

"  A  long  red  ribbon  ?"  said  Augustus  inquir- 
ingly. 

"  You  are  a  stupid  boy,"  returned  Hoier ; 
"  and  I  am  little  less  so  to  waste  my  time  in 
talking  to  you,  instead  of  making  the  most  of 
it.  My  people  will  have  ransacked  the  house 
whilst  I  am  chattering  in  this  foolish  way.  I 


THE  SURPRISE. 


109 


must  get  my  share  of  the  booty."  So  saying- 
he  was  going  to  join  the  soldiers,  when — 

"  Father  Hoier  !"  Augustus  called  after  him. 

"  What  is  the  matter  now  ?"  inquired  the 
other. 

Augustus  replied  with  some  confusion,  "  I 
always  thought  you  were  an  honorable  man." 

"  Well,  who  says  anything  to  the  contrary  ?" 

"  Why  you  are  going  to  steal  what  belongs 
to  other  people !" 

"  I'll  give  you  a  little  piece  of  advice,  young 
man,  which  you  will  do  well  to  follow.  Don't 
presume  too  much  on  my  good-nature,  and 
choose  your  words  better.  Plundering  is  not  steal- 
ing, and  all's  fair  in  war."    He  sprang  away. 

"  Ah  !"  said  Augustus  to  himself,  "it  is  very 
plain  that  war  is  an  excuse  for  all  that  is  evil." 

The  soldiers  now  returned  laden  with  booty. 
What  they  could  not  use  or  take  away  they 
wantonly  destroyed  and  wasted.  Provisions, 
clothes,  linen,  lamps,  soap,  and  furniture  were 
strewed  about,  and  trampled  upon.  By  far  the 
greater  part  of  the  things  they  found  they  de- 
stroyed. Augustus  looked  on  with  sorrow ; 
and  in  everything  but  a  happy  mood  he  fol- 
lowed his  comrades  when  they  left  the  burning 
town,  and  returned  to  the  army. 

10 


110 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

THE  BATTLE. 

Augustus  again  took  the  post  of  drummer 
in  his  former  regiment.  The  colonel  and  all 
his  comrades  gave  him  a  cordial  welcome. 
Marie  was  placed  under  the  care  of  a  sutler, 
and  could  ride  or  walk  as  she  pleased ;  when 
the  army  rested  or  made  a  halt,  she  always 
sought  out  her  young  preserver,  who  now  had 
nothing  more  to  fear  from  the  French  general. 
Augustus  saw  with  surprise  that  the  regiment 
had  dwindled  down  to  little  more  than  half  its 
former  numbers. 

"  Ah !"  said  Hoier,  as  he  was  questioning 
him  about  his  adventures ;  "  you  may  thank 
your  stars  that  the  soldiers  only  pretended  to 
shoot  you,  or  you  might  soon  have  been  shot  in 
real  earnest.  Nothing  would  do  but  we  must 
storm  an  old  nest  of  a  fortress  called  Smolensk, 
and  many  of  our  best  men  never  saw  daylight 


THE  BATTLE. 


Ill 


again.  Six  drummers  fell  there,  and  had  you 
been  with  us  you  might  have  shared  the  same 
fate." 

After  some  days  of  painful  and  wearisome 
marching,  there  was  a  report  that  the  whole 
army  of  the  enemy  was  stationed  in  the  direct 
road  of  the  French  army,  and  that  a  decisive 
battle  might  be  expected.  Strange  enough !  this 
intelligence  gave  universal  satisfaction.  All 
were  heartily  weary  of  the  tedious  march,  and 
gladly  welcomed  any  change,  even  though  it 
were  to  cost  the  death  of  thousands. 

Now  then  the  ranks  were  closed  up ;  each 
regiment  had  its  proper  place  assigned  it ;  and 
the  whole  body  of  men  in  battle  array,  marched 
in  close  and  compact  order.  The  army  might 
be  compared  to  a  bird — the  body  of  which  con- 
sisted of  the  very  flower  of  the  troops,  flanked 
by  innumerable  cannon  ;  huge  wings  also  were 
net  wanting,  so  arranged  as  to  enclose  and  over- 
whelm the  enemy.  At  some  distance  in  the 
rear  marched  a  second  army  of  reserve,  in 
readiness  to  support  and  assist  the  former  in 
case  of  necessity.  The  boundless  plain  which 
they  were  traversing  was  scarcely  sufficient  to 
afford  space  for  all  the  men  who  were  to  be 
engaged  in  the  battle. 


112 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


It  was  towards  the  evening  of  September  5, 
1812,  that  the  thundering  of  the  cannon  an- 
nounced the  commencement  of  the  famous  bat- 
tle of  Borodino.  Earth  and  sky  shook  with 
the  fearful  explosions.  Augustus  had  never 
heard  anything  of  the  kind  so  near  him  before. 
He  changed  color  with  fear.  But  his  regiment 
bivouacked  on  the  ground  as  calmly  and  as  un- 
disturbed as  though  what  was  going  on  had  no 
concern  whatever  with  them.  The  soldiers  ate, 
drank,  joked,  laughed,  and  went  to  sleej)  as 
usual.  This  indifference  made  him  still  more 
uncomfortable.  He  whispered  some  remarks  to 
Hoier ;  and  as  the  sergeant  noticed  the  trem- 
bling of  his  young  companion,  he  said  quietly, 
"  We  have  nothing  to  do  with  this  affair.  It 
concerns  only  the  intrenchment  on  the  left 
wing.  The  enemy's  chief  intrenchment  will 
cost  more  blood.  But  we  must  break  through 
that,  and  capture  the  village  of  Borodino  also^" 

"  And  what  then  ?"  inquired  Augustus. 

"  Then,"  continued  Hoier,  "  there  will  be 
nothing  to  hinder  us  from  entering  Moscow." 

"  And  what  then?"  again  inquired  Augustus. 

"  Then  peace  will  be  proclaimed,  and  we 
shall  go  home." 

"  But  we  had  peace  at  home.    What  was  the 


THE  BATTLE. 


113 


use,  then,  of  marching  so  far,  and  of  sacrificing 
so  many  lives?  Could  we  not  have  fiad  it 
much  more  easily  ?" 

"  You  know  nothing  about  these  matters. 
There  must  be  war  or  the  great  comet  would 
not  have  been  seen  last  year." 

"I  think  it  was  Napoleon  who  began  the 
war,  and  not  the  comet." 

"  Certainly.    But  the  comet  announced  that 
it  was  to  be." 

".That  comet  could  not  speak  ;  how,  then, 
could  it  proclaim  war  ?" 

"  Silly  child  !   I  tell  you  it  was  prophesied." 

"  But  who  prophesied  it?  God  did  not;  the 
comet  did  not.  It  must  therefore  have  been  a 
man  who  deceived  us." 

"  You  are  a  very  funny  fellow !"  growled 
Hoier  as  he  turned  away. 

Augustus  thought  over  this  conversation,  and  . 
at  last  came  to  the  conclusion  that  men  attri- 
buted to  the  innocent  comet  their  own  misdeeds, 
in  order  to  find  an  excuse  for  themselves,  and 
60  render  themselves  irresponsible  for  their  own 
sins. 

At  length  the  roar  of  the  cannon  ceased.  As 
far  as  the  eye  could  reach  watch-fires  blazed, 
around  which  the  soldiers  reclined.  Few,  how- 
10  *  H 


« 


114 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


ever,  amongst  them  could  sleep,  from  the  excite- 
ment of  expectation. 

"  I  wonder  whether  I  shall  be  alive  at  this 
time  to-morrow?"  said  Augustus  to  himself 
The  poor  boy  felt  very  unhappy  as  one  painful 
thought  after  another  came  into  his  mind.  The 
night  slowly  passed  away ;  and  many  of  the 
soldiers,  when  the  flutter  of  excitement  had 
subsided,  felt  so  wearied  that  their  eyelids 
closed,  and  they  dropped  into  a  short  slumber, 
perhaps  for  the  last  time.  The  fires  gradually 
went  out ;  all  was  quiet ;  and  the  stillness  of 
the  night  was  only  occasionally  broken  by  the 
calls  of  the  sentries  at  their  posts,  and  the 
neighing  of  the  horses.  This,  however,  lasted 
but  a  short  time.  No  sooner  had  the  dim,  gray 
light  of  the  approaching  day  appeared  in  the 
horizon,  than  the  soldiers  rose  quickly  from 
their  grassy  couch  without  waiting  for  the  Sim- 
mons of  the  trumpet;  the  pyramids  of  guns 
were  quickly  taken  down ;  and  all  fully 
equipped,  stood  to  their  arms.  The  colonel 
rode  along  the  ranks,  exhorting  them  to  show 
their  bravery  and  fidelity  ;  the  sergeants  called 
over  the  rolls  of  their  several  companies.  Or- 
ders were  then  given  for  the  troops  to  breakfast 
as  speedily  as  possible. 


% 


THE  BATTLE. 


115 


And  now  the  glorious  sun  arose  in  all  its 
splendor — not,  alas !  upon  fields  destined  to  pro- 
duce fruitfulness  and  plenty,  but  blood  and 
destruction.  The  larks  on  this  day  forgot  to 
carol  forth  their  sweet  notes  of  thanksgiving 
and  joy.  They  had  fled  far  away,  terrified  by 
the  immense  multitude  of  warriors,  and  the 
dreadful  roar  of  the  cannon. 

From  time  to  time  a  threatening  roar  might 
be  heard  resounding  through  the  mists  of  the 
morning.  The  soldiers  waited  with  intense 
anxiety  the  call  to  battle.  Soon  came  the  com- 
mand to  fortify  the  position  of  the  army  by 
throwing  up  intrenchments.  A  tremendous  bus- 
tle was  the  consequence.  Before  the  close  of 
the  day  innumerable  ditches,  with  immense 
heaps  of  earth  beside  them,  had  been  dug  — 
some  of  them  straight  as  a  line,  others  zig- 
zagged and  vandyked.  The  second  night  passed 
without  fighting ;  but  the  bloody  work  began 
with  all  the  greater  fury  on  the  morning  of  the 
third  day,  the  7th  September.  Twelve  hundred 
huge  pieces  of  artillery  shook  the  earth  as  they 
poured  forth  fire  and  death.  The  skies  seemed 
to  burn.  Some  of  the  messengers  of  death  flew 
whizzing  over  Augustus'  regiment,  which  for 
the  present  stood  motionless,  resting  on  their 


116 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


arms.  The  young  drummer  was  now  in  such  a 
position  as  he  had  scarcely  ever  dreamed  of 
before.  His  muscles  seemed  to  have  lost  all 
power  of  action  ;  his  knees  knocked  against 
each  other ;  he  felt  faint  and  giddy,  and  big 
drops  of  perspiration  rolled  down  his  brow. 

The  young  lieutenant,  who  has  been  men- 
tioned before  in  the  course  of  our  narrative  as 
so  haughty  to  his  inferiors,  seemed  no  less 
affected  by  fear.  He  placed  a  dram-bottle  with 
trembling  hands  to  his  white  lips,  as  if  hoping 
that  the  spirit  would  renovate  his  courage.  This 
did  not  escape  the  notice  of  the  soldiers  who 
were  standing  near  him,  and  one  of  them  whis- 
pered to  another,  "  Our  milk-sop  of  a  lieuten- 
ant has  the  cannon  fever !"  and  indeed  a  very 
violent  fever  it  was,  that  affected  poor  Augustus 
also. 

The  front  battalions  of  the  line  now  got  into 
motion  ;  those  behind  advanced  also.  It  soon 
came  to  the  regiment  immediately  in  front  of 
that  in  which  Augustus  was  placed.  Then  came 
their  turn.  The  officers  buckled  their  sword- 
belts  more  tightly ;  the  soldiers  raised  their 
knapsacks  an  inch  higher ;  all  waited  in  expec- 
tation of  the  word  of  command.    It  came ; 


THE  BATTLE. 


IIT 


they  heard  the  colonel's  powerful  voice  exclaim- 
ing, "  Fix  bayonets  !    March  !" 

The  regimental  band  instantly  struck  up  an 
inspiriting  march ;  the  sound  of  the  instru- 
ments, however,  could  be  heard  only  by  those 
who  were  nearest.  Augustus  could  not  have 
uttered  a  word  had  his  life  depended  upon  his 
speaking.  At  first  they  marched  rather  slowly, 
but  the  rapidity  of  their  step  increased  every 
minute.  Not  one  of  the  soldiers  knew  at  what 
point  they  were  aiming ;  they  merely  saw  the 
dark  masses  of  their  comrades  before  them,  and 
the  chasms  that  were  every  minute  made  in 
their  ranks,  and  as  instantly  filled  up  again. 
The  thick  smoke  prevented  their  taking  any 
distant  view  ;  when  suddenly  the  command  was 
given,  "  Charge !" 

Our  little  hero  now  found  himself  running 
at  a  smart  trot  behind  his  comrades.  He  gave 
a  beat  at  every  step  upon  his  drum — "Turn, 
tum,  tum!"  A  tremendous  shell  crashed  in 
the  midst  of  the  soldiers ;  Augustus  felt  the  hot 
sparks  against  his  face;  he  stumbled  against 
something  that  lay  in  his  path,  and  fell  to  the 
ground. 

When  at  length  with  great  difficulty  he  raised 
himself  up,  he  saw  the  ground  covered  with  the 


118 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


dead  and  dying,  and  the  dense  masses  of  soldiers 
before  him  scattered  in  every  direction. 

"Close  the  ranks!"  shoQted  the  colonel. 
"Forward!  my  boys!"  The  thinned  ranks 
pressed  together,  and  made  way  for  themselves 
over  the  bodies  of  their  former  comrades  as 
they  rushed  forward. 

A  gust  of  wind  which  cleared  away  the  thick 
smoke  for  a  minute  enabled  Augustus  to  see  a 
high  entrenchment  in  the  distance,  from  whence 
the  enemy's  tremendous  park  of  artillery  was 
furiously  playing.  Every  moment  innumerable 
jets  of  fire  burst  forth.  Before  the  roar  of  the 
cannon  whose  discharge  he  had  just  witnessed 
could  reach  him,  he  felt  himself  thrown  down 
and  covered  with  heavy  bodies,  which  prevented 
him  from  seeing  anything.  His  senses  failed, 
and  he  fainted.  Eepeated  roars  of  cannon 
aroused  him ;  he  was  still  in  the  same  position, 
and  it  w^as  almost  unbearable.  He  could  not 
move  one  of  his  limbs.  Was  he  wounded? 
He  could  not  tell. 

Whilst  endeavoring  to  disengage  himself 
from  the  dead  bodies  that  pressed  him  down, 
he  heard  a  distant  sound,  differing  from  any- 
thing that  he  had  ever  heard  before.  The  noise 
increased  every  moment.    The  earth  seemed  to 


THE  BATTLE. 


119 


tremble.  An  uninterrupted  thunder,  with  a 
hollow  sound  quite  different  from  that  of  artil- 
lery, came  nearer  and  louder.  A  shower  of 
hail  seemed  to  accompany  it.  As  it  came  still 
nearer,  the  sound  changed  to  the  clanking  of 
thousands  of  chains.  What  was  it  but  the 
raging  army  now  rushing  in  full  career  over 
him !  He  felt  himself  pressed  down,  squeezed 
by  the  bodies  lying  above  him.  They  were 
dead,  and  gave  him  but  slightly  the  impression 
that  was  made  upon  themselves. 

The  regiments  now  passing  over  them  were 
those  of  the  Saxon  Cuirassiers  and  Guards, 
which  were  charging  over  the  battle-field  to- 
wards the  chief  intrenchment. 

But  one  murderous  fire  had  these  troops  to 
sustain  from  its  occupiers ;  then  they  were  si- 
lent; the  intrenchment  was  taken — the  battle 
won. 

Augustus  again  lay  senseless — h^)w  long  he 
could  not  tell.  A  violent  jerk  of  his  arm 
brought  him  to  himself.  He  found  his  burden 
removed,  and  again  he  saw  the  daylight.  When 
he  opened  his  eyes,  he  perceived  a  Frenchman 
by  his  side,  who  was  endeavoring  to  deprive 
him  in  like  manner  of  his  uniform.  In  great 
astonishment  he  asked  the  reason  of  such  a  pro- 


120 


THE  DKUMMER  BOY. 


ceeding.  The  soldier  muttered  angrily  that  he 
thought  that  he  had  been  dead,  and  that  he  had 
considered  himself  as  his  heir.  He  then  turned 
to  another  body,  and  recommenced  plundering. 

Augustus  now  looked  ;round  him  with  horror. 
Heaps  of  slain  lay  on  all  sides ;  many  had  al- 
ready been  stripped ;  and  all  were  more  or  less 
disfigured  by  wounds,  blood,  and  the  trampling 
of  the  cavalry.  He  had  himself  only  escaped 
by  a  miracle;  when  his  slaughtered  comrades 
fell  upon  him,  their  bodies  had  so  protected  him 
that  neither  their  heavy  weight  nor  the  tramp 
of  the  horses  had  injured  him  in  the  least; 
otherwise  he  must  have  been  stifled  or  squeezed 
to  death. 

He  discovered  his  colonel's  horse  very  much 
lacerated ;  but  the  colonel  himself  he  could  not 
see.  He  looked  round,  in  hopes  of  finding  one 
of  his  comrades  who  might  inform  him  of  what 
had  taken  place  ;  but  in  vain. 

Quite  discouraged  and  dispirited,  he  now  di- 
rected his  steps  to  the  spot  where  his  regiment 
had  been  stationed  at  first.  There  lay  the  great 
drum,  pierced  through  by  a  cannon-ball,  and 
marking  the  spot  where  the  band  had  been 
placed.  He  revolved  the  past  more  and  more 
in  his  mind,  when   suddenly  he  recollected 


THE  BATTLE. 


121 


having  seen  a  little  figure  glide  past  him  as  the 
regiment  was  charging.  Had  he  not  in  his 
confusion  quite  forgotten  poor  Marie  ? 

"  O  Marie,  Marie !"  he  called  out  in  agony, 
"  are  you  lost  too  ?  Why  did  you  not  stay  with 
the  sutler  ?"  At  first  he  feared  she  had  been 
trampled  down  by  the  horses,  and  he  looked  in 
all  directions  to  have  his  fears  confirmed ;  for 
he  knew  that  even  if  unable  to  recognize  her 
face,  it  would  be  impossible  to  mistake  her 
slender  form  and  her  feminine  attire. 

While  thus  wandering  about  and  calling  hei^ 
by  name,  he  was  astonished  to  see  the  great 
drum  suddenly  move.  It  fell  down ;  and  Ma- 
rie, quite  unharmed,  but  very  pale,  appeared 
before  him !  Full  of  delight  at  meeting  so  un- 
expectedly, the  two  embraced  each  other  heart- 
ily. They  were  not  separated  now ;  and  though 
they  were  still  on  the  fearful  battle-field,  their 
prospects  seemed  far  brighter  than  before  their 
meeting. 

Marie  told  her  tale  in  a  few  words.  She  had 
run  a  few  steps  by  the  side  of  Augustus,  when 
she  was  carried  away  from  him,  and  had  fallen,, 
down.  Terrified  by  the  roar  and  confusion,  she 
had  crept  into  the  large  drum,  which  was  lying 
near  her ;  and  there  she  had  remained  in  a  half- 
11 


122 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


conscious  state  until  she  heard  him  calling  her. 
Walking  hand  in  hand,  they  now  proceeded  to- 
wards the  chief  intrencliment  that  had  occa- 
sioned the  sacrifice  of  so  many  thousands  of 
lives. 

"I  should  like  to  know,"  said  Augustus, 
"  why  they  were  so  eager  to  gain  this  ?  Per- 
haps there  were  some  great  treasures  preserved 
here,  or  something  very  important  concealed." 

They  could  scarcely  make  their  way  over  the 
numerous  dead  bodies  of  men  and  horses. 
Streams  of  blood  were  flowing;  heads,  arms, 
and  legs  were  scattered  in  all  directions.  In 
the  intrenchment  itself  nothing  was  to  be  seen 
but  heaps  of  earth,  trenches  filled  with  dead 
men,  shattered  cannon-wheels  and  carriages,  in- 
termixed with  many  wounded.  It  was  a  sad 
sight  to  see  the  latter.  A  Russian  officer,  whose 
head  was  dreadfully  mutilated,  uttered  a  few 
words  with  his  dying  voice. 

"  What  does  the  poor  man  say  ?"  asked  Au- 
gustus of  Marie. 

"  He  is  begging  us  to  get  him  a  little  water," 
answered  JNIarie  sobbing. 

Augustus  looked  around  with  the  intention( 
of  gratifying  the  dying  man's  last  wish  if  possi-J 
ble.    He  saw  two  Frenchmen  standing  by  an- 


THE  BATTLE. 


123 


other  of  the  wounded,  and  thinking  they  might 
possibly  have  some  water  with  them,  he  has- 
tened towards  them. 

But  the  scene  that  then  presented  itself  made 
him  forget  his  errand.  A  Russian  sat  upon  the 
ground,  his  arm  broken,  and  his  feet  dreadfully 
injured;  near  him  stood  the  two  Frenchmen, 
endeavoring  to  tear  his  uniform  from  his  body. 
One  sleeve  was  already  drawn  off,  the  other  re- 
sisted all  their  efforts,  in  consequence  of  the 
fracture  of  the  arm.  The  poor  sufferer  groaned 
with  agony,  so  tortured  was  he  by  these  bar- 
barians ;  but  deaf  to  his  intreaties,  they  would 
not  desist  till  they  had  succeeded  in  securing 
the  desired  booty.  Augustus  fled  from  them 
as  if  they  had  been  infected  with  the  plague. 

Another  Russian  stopped  his  progress,  both 
of  whose  legs  had  been  shot  away.  He  had 
managed  to  raise  himself  upon  his  bleeding 
stumps,  and  was  still  able  to  keep  the  upper 
part  of  his  body  in  an  erect  position,  although 
the  near  approach  of  death  was  denoted  by  the 
broad  white  lines  that  appeared  upon  his  face. 
He  had  clasped  his  hands  wdth  fervor ;  his  half- 
opened  eyes  were  turned  towards  heaven,  and 
his  lips  prayed  slowly  and  distinctly. 

"  Look,  Marie !"  said  Augustus,  quite  affected 


124 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


at  the  sight.  "That  soldier  is  dying  like  a 
good  man ;  he  is  asking  God  to  bless  him,  and 
to  take  him  to  himself. 

"  No,  indeed,"  returned  Marie,  shuddering  as 
she  spoke;  "he  is  cursing  the  enemies  of  his 
country,  and  imploring  a  bloody  revenge. 

"  Oh,  how  glad  I  am,"  said  Augustus,  "  that 
we  have  nothing  to  do  with  these  dreadful 
curses!  If  every  one  thought  as  I  do,  there 
would  be  no  war.  I  should  never  be  happy 
again  if  I  were  to  cause  the  death  of  a  man." 

They  hastened  to  leave  this  scene  of  horrors ; 
but  their  progress  was  arrested  by  the  arrival 
of  the  Emperor  ISTapoleon  at  the  head  of  a  nu- 
merous staff.  He  came  to  view  the  field  of 
battle.  With  a  countenance  cold  and  unmoved 
as  marble  he  rode  over  the  dead,  dying,  and 
wounded.  The  groans,  lamentations,  and  cries 
of  the  soldiers  who  lay  around  made  no  impres- 
sion upon  him.  He  gazed  at  the  prospect  be- 
fore him  through  a  spy-glass. 

"It  has  been  a  glorious  victory!"  said  one 
of  the  generals  who  rode  by  his  side.  "  The  in- 
trenchment  and  the  village  below  were  bravely 
defended ;  yet  both  were  taken.  Fifty  thousand 
slain  and  wounded  lie  upon  the  field." 

"Fifty  thousand  lives,"  said  Augustus  to 


THE  BATTLE. 


125 


himself,  "  merely  to  gain  a  heap  of  earth  and  a 
village  that  is  burned  down !  What  a  price  to 
pay !" 

"There  is  nothing  now  to  prevent  bur  en- 
trance into  the  ancient  city  of  Moscow,"  con- 
tinued the  general.    "  Long  live  the  Emperor !" 

"  Long  live  the  Emperor !"  shouted  the  whole 
party. 

The  old  Russian,  with  death  in  his  face, 
snatched  up  a  musket  that  was  lying  near  him, 
to  make  one  last  attempt  to  deprive  the  Em- 
peror of  his  life. 

A  Frenchman,  perceiving  this,  struck  him  on 
the  head,  and  he  died  immediately.  Napoleon 
went  away ;  the  children  followed  at  a  distance, 
hoping  to  come  up  with  the  remains  of  the 
regiment. 

Night  came  on.  The  moon  arose ;  but  she 
was  concealed  by  dense  clouds.  She  would  not 
shed  her  silvery  light  upon  that  field  of  horrors. 
Many  thousands  of  the  dying  writhed  and 
groaned  in  the  stillness  of  midnight,  imploring 
a  quicker  death,  and  a  speedy  release  from  their 
sufferings.  Then  the  pale  angel  of  death  came, 
and  extinguished  one  by  one  the  sparks  of  life. 
He  closed  the  weary  eyes — he  straitened  the 
tired  limbs — the  wounds  ceased  to  bleed. 
11  * 


126 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


But  there  were  many  who  could  uot  die ;  the 
thread  of  life  with  them  seemed  made  of  iron ! 
Death,  deaf  to  their  despair,  passed  them  by, 
and  their  agony  continued  for  many  days. 


THE  GRAND  CALAMITY. 


127 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE  GRAND  CALA3IITY. 

Moscow,  the  prize  which  the  victory  of  Bo- 
rodino had  procured,  lay — after  a  few  days' 
march — with  its  houses,  palaces,  and  churches, 
before  the  eyes  of  the  French  army.  The  roofs 
of  the  Kremlin  glittered  with  gold  in  the  rays 
of  the  sun,  and  dazzled  the  eyes  of  the  con- 
querors. Ha!  what  glorious  booty  did  they 
anticipate  in  the  rich  old  city.  They  entered 
without  firing  a  single  shot,  or  striking  a  single 
blow. 

Napoleon,  however,  here  met  with  a  great 
disappointment,  which  served  to  qualify  the  joy 
and  exultation  which  he  had  felt  at  his  recent 
victory.  He  had  expected  that,  as  usual  in  all 
conquered  cities,  an  embassy  of  the  principal 
inhabitants  should  come  out  to  meet  him,  sub- 
missively imploring  mercy  and  pardon. 

Nothing  of  the  kind  took  place  here.  The  , 
streets  were  still  as  death ;   no  staring  and 


128 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


shouting  multitude  received  the  French  army. 
Strange,  that  the  man  who  appeared  so  callous 
and  indifferent  to  the  sufferings  and  opinions  of 
others,  should  feel  such  displeasure  when  they 
did  not  render  him  the  homage  that  he  looked 
for !  He  passed  along  the  empty  streets  in  an 
angry  mood,  and  haughtily  chose  the  magnificent 
palace  of  the  Kremlin  for  his  head-quarters. 

His  soldiers,  on  the  other  hand,  were  highly 
delighted  to  find  that  the  inhabitants  had  fled, 
and  that  the  houses  were  all  unoccupied.  Of 
course  they  considered  them  as  their  property, 
and  immediately  set  about  selecting  those  that 
were  the  most  eligible.  They  occupied  suites 
of  rooms  that  had  been  prepared  for  princes ; 
they  threw  themselves  with  their  heavy  boots 
upon  the  most  costly  sofas,  and  upon  the  silken 
beds  with  their  gilded  canopies.  They  brushed 
their  clothes  upon  finely-polished  tables,  and 
threw  about  the  rarest  Chinese  porcelain  and 
Japan  ornaments  as  they  Avould  the  commonest 
earthen-ware.  Cellars  and  store-closets  w^re 
broken  open,  and  their  contents  sinfully  wasted. 
The  soldiers  ate  the  most  expensive  dainties  till 
they  could  eat  no  longer ;  and  the  richest  wines 
flowed  in  streams.  The  drawers  and  closets 
did  not  escape  them ;  they  took  from  them  the 


J 


THE  GRAND  CALAMITY. 


129 


finest  linen,  shawls,  handkerchiefs,  and  wearing 
apparel  they  could  find.  As  twilight  ap- 
proached, they  rushed  into  the  secret  recesses  of 
the  houses  with  large  bundles  of  lighted  candles 
and  torches,  regardless  of  the  danger,  should 
they  contain  anything  combustible.  Many  fires 
originated  in  consequence  of  their  carelessness ; 
but  they  passed  on,  not  thinking  of  troubling 
themselves  to  extinguish  them,  as  they  were 
merely  destroying  the  possessions  of  their  ene- 
mies. On  the  contrary,  they  looked  on  not 
only  with  calmness,  but  with  a  horrible  gratifi- 
cation, as  the  fires  increased,  and  spread  to  the 
neighboring  houses.  The  general  and  his  sol- 
diers acted  both  alike ;  but  their  sin  brought  its 
own  punishment. 

The  fires  extended  over  the  wooden  hotises 
in  Moscow  with  great  rapidity.  Still,  much 
might  have  been  saved,  if  the  soldiers,  instead 
of  plundering,  would  have  endeavored  to  ex- 
tinguish the  flames.  But  no  one  thought  of 
doing  this.  In  their  arrogance  as  conquerors, 
and  confidence  of  security,  they  deemed  such  a 
step  quite  unnecessary.  They  looked  only  to 
new  conquests  and  fresh  booty. 

It  was  on  one  of  these  days  of  horror  that  a 
carriage  drawn  by  three  horses  stopped  in  the 
I 


130  THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


vicinity  of  a  house  that  was  in  flames.  Some 
soldiers  belonging  to  the  Rhenish  troops  carried 
a  wounded  man  into  the  coach,  which  the  sur- 
geon had  made  as  comfortable  as  possible.  A 
H^tle  girl  got  in  as  well ;  and  besides  the  coach- 
man, a  soldier  mounted  the  box,  who  had  ban- 
dages on  his  head  and  arm. 

A  little  drummer  (who,  as  our  readers  will 
readily  guess,  was  our  young  friend  Augustus) 
now  approached  the  surgeon.  "  Do  you  think, 
sir,  that  the  colonel  will  be  able  to  bear  such  a 
long  journey  ?" 

"  Do  not  fear,  my  little  man,"  answered  the 
surgeon ;  "  the  colonel  could  no  longer  be  of 
service  to  the  army,  even  were  he  restored  to 
health.  He  must  therefore  return  home,  where 
every  care  will  be  taken  of  him." 

"  Farewell,  Marie,"  said  Augustus,  addressing  | 
the  little  girl ;  "  be  very  attentive  to  our  good 
colonel,  and  do  all  that  you  can  to  make  him 
comfortable.  I  hope,  by  and  by,  I  shall  see 
you  with  your  parents,  who  must  have  returned 
to  their  mill  by  this  time.  Good-by  till  we  , 
meet  asrain."  Both  the  children  shed  tears 
while  they  shook  hands  with  each  other. 

"  Ah,  Hoier,"  added  Augustus  to  the  soldier  ' 
on  the  box,  "  I  feel  very  unhappy  j  all  my 


THE  GRAND  CALAMITY.  131 

friends  are  leaving  me — you,  the  colonel,  and 
Marie.  What  will  become  of  me  ?  The  lieu- 
tenant dislikes  me ;  and  wicked  Donnert,  who 
murdered  poor  Emily,  has  come  back  into  the 
regiment.  He  hates  me,  and  nothing  but  your 
being  here  has  prevented  him  from  doing  me 
an  ill  turn.  There  will  be  nothing  to  hinder 
him  now." 

"Don't  grumble,  boy,"  said  the  wounded  man 
from  his  elevated  position  ;  "  'tis  a  sin  to  do  so. 
Why,  you  have  got  off  better  than  any  of  us ; 
not  a  limb  in  your  body  is  hurt.  I  should  not 
care  about  this  cut  in  my  head,  but  the  loss  of 
the  fingers  of  my  right  hand  is  a  serious  matter 
indeed.  It  makes  a  cripple  of  me  for  life. 
Don't  talk  of  your  troubles ;  I  would  change 
places  with  you  any  day.  No,  no,  my  lad ; 
keep  a  good  heart  till  I  see  you  again." 

The  carriage  rolled  away;  Augustus  followed 
it  for  some  distance. 

"  And  so  this  is  n;iy  reward,"  said  Hoier  to 
himself  as  he  gazed  sorrowfully  at  his  muti- 
lated hand.  "Yes,  the  horse  has  earned  his 
oats,  but  another  eats  them ;  I  made  sure  I 
should  receive  the  cross  of  the  Legion  of  Honor. 
And  so  I  stood  like  a  rock  to  resist  the  enemy ; 
and  who  are  they  that  have  received  the  rib- 


132 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


bon  ?  Cowardly  fools,  who  bent  themselves 
double  before  every  bullet  that  whizzed  past 
them,  and  were  glad  of  any  mean  shift  to  save 
their  precious  lives." 

Augustus  would  gladly  have  given  up  all  the 
orders  in  the  world,  had  he  possessed  them,  for 
the  sake  of  returning  to  his  native  country.  He 
watched  the  carriage  with  a  bleeding  heart  till 
it  was  out  of  sight. 

Moscow  now  presented  a  scene  of  awful  con- 
fusion ;  thousands  of  different  things  lay  piled 
together  in  the  streets.  Large  mirrors,  splendid 
curtains,  and  costly  furniture  of  all  kinds,  were 
mingled  with  beds,  provisions,  boxes,  casks, 
baks,  and  bundles,  thrown  from  the  burning 
houses ;  all  together  formed  a  miscellaneous 
'  mass,  that  was  not  only  itself  endangered  by 
the  raging  fire,  but  which  served  to  increase  its 
rapidity  and  aggravate  its  fury. 

The  French  looked  upon  this  scene  of  destruc- 
tion with  perfect  indifference;  they  seemed  to 
have  lost  all  thought  or  care  for  the  future. 
At  length  the  conflagration  reached  such  a 
height  that  their  lives  were  endangered.  They 
withdrew  to  the  buildings  that  still  remained 
untouched  by  the  fire ;  and  there  they  were 
compelled  to  crowd  inconveniently  together.  In 


THE  GRAND  CALAMITY. 


133 


the  meantime  they  hoped  that  peace  would  soon 
be  concluded ;  day  after  da}^  they  looked  for 
this.  But  alas !  they  were  grievously  disap- 
pointed. Four  weeks  passed  away,  and  still 
their  expectations  were  not  realized.  In  the 
midst  of  so  much  treasure,  they  began  to  suffer 
from  the  want  of  those  common  necessaries  of 
life  which  they  had  but  lately  so  prodigally 
wasted.  !N"o  food  could  be  procured  in  the 
whole  country  round ;  the  villages  were  all 
burnt ;  no  country  people  could  be  seen  bring- 
ing their  wares  to  the  city,  nor  was  it  possible 
in  any  way  to  obtain  the  necessary  supplies. 

Napoleon  was  at  last  compelled  by  necessity 
to  give  orders  for  a  retreat.  But  even  retreat 
in  this  instance  afforded  them  no  relief ;  unfor- 
tunately there  was  no  way  open  to  the  troops 
but  that  over  which  they  had  already  passed. 
All  here  was  desolate  and  w^aste ;  no  shelter, 
no  provisions,  were  to  be  met  with ;  whilst,  in 
addition  to  these  calamities,  they  were  dis- 
tressed by  very  rough  weather ;  winter  having 
this  autumn  set  in  early,  and  with  unusual 
severity. 

12 


134 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE  RETREAT. 

The  cutting  wind  had  deprived  the  trees  of 
their  leaves,  and  withered  the  grass ;  the  ground 
was  frozen  hard  as  a  threshing-floor;  dense 
clouds  veiled  the  sky,  and  very  soon  a  thick 
sleet  began  to  fall.  In  a  short  time  everything 
was  covered  with  it.  The  French  army  marched 
along  the  high  road  in  innumerable  companies. 
They  left  Moscow  laden  with  booty ;  yet  mer- 
riment and  laughter  were  no  longer  heard  in 
their  ranks.  They  proceeded  on  their  way 
silently  and  sorrowfully ;  not  a  word  escaped 
their  lips,  except  when  some  new  disaster  called 
forth  an  angry  oath.  Their  eyes  were  sunk 
deep  in  their  heads,  and  their  faces  were  pale 
and  emaciated  ;  yet  these  were  the  same  troops 
which,  a  quarter  of  a  year  before,  had  dazzled 
and  enchanted  all  spectators  by  the  splendour 
and  completeness  of  their  equipments.  Now 


THE  RETREAT. 


135 


their  splendour  had  vanished/and  their  disci- 
pline given  place  to  disorder. 

Instead  of  gilded  helmets  and  furred  shakos, 
many  wore  frightful  caps  of  skin  bordered  with 
fur.  Others  had  their  heads,  shoulders,  and 
breasts  enveloped  in  costly  carpets  and  shawls. 
Their  ragged  cloaks  did  not  even  serve  to  con- 
ceal their  soiled  uniforms,  so  numerous  were 
the  holes  that  had  been  burnt  and  worn  in 
them. 

The  poor  horses  belonging  to  the  cavalry  had 
hardly  sufficient  strength  left  to  enable  them  to 
carry  their  burdens ;  and  so  thin  had  they 
become,  that  one  might  have  counted  their  ribs. 
The  continued  wet  produced  by  the  snow  ruined 
the  soldiers'  boots,  so  that  many  of  them  had 
to  march  either  on  their  stockings  or  on  their 
bare  feet.  The  exhilarating  sound  of  music 
was  no  longer  heard,  nor  the  joyous  clamor  of 
the  trumpets.  Twelve  weary  horses  were  har- 
nessed to  every  piece  of  artillery ;  and  even 
then  it  was  only  by  the  incessant  use  both  of 
whip  and  spur  that  they  could  be  made  to  drag 
it  along. 

When  noon  arrived,  no  hospitable  house,  no 
well-covered  tables,  no  refreshing  meal,  awaited 
them ;  no  warming  soup,  no  salad,  no  meat,  no 


136 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


pudding.  How  the  sight  of  these  things,  which 
they  had  once  despised,  would  now  have  rejoiced 
their  hearts !  Even  the  black  dry  ammunition 
bread  had  failed,  so  thoughtlessly  and  wickedly 
had  they  wasted  it.  The  soldiers  would  now 
quietly  open  their  knapsacks,  and  rummage 
their  contents,  in  hopes  of  finding  something  to 
eat ;  and  greedily  would  they  munch  away  at 
a  piece  of  stale  biscuit  or  mouldy  horse-flesh,  if 
fortunate  enough  to  find  any. 

If  any  of  their  number  ventured  to  leave  the 
high  road  to  search  in  the  neighborhood  for 
food,  they  rarely  returned ;  the  infuriated  Rus- 
sian peasants  were  hovering  around  them  on  all 
sides,  and  they  slew  without  mercy  every  strag- 
gler that  fell  into  their  hands. 

The  setting  sun  was  the  harbinger  of  fres*h 
calamities  to  the  unfortunate  soldiers ;  the  fear- 
ful nights,  long  and  cold  as  they  were,  inspired 
every  one  with  the  deepest  horror.  Each  night 
many  could  not  survive  these  hardships.  If,  as 
the  darkness  came  on,  a  soldier,  overcome  by 
fatigue,  stumbled,  and  was  unable  to  raise  him- 
self, no  comrade  would  render  him  any  assist- 
ance. Unsympathizing,  they  would  pass  him 
by ;  and  soon  the  thick-falling  snow  would  co- 
ver him,  and  his  resting-place  be  marked  only 


THE  RETREAT. 


13T 


by  a  white  hillock ;  beneath  which  he  would 
gink  into  a  sound  sleep,  from  which  he  never 
awoke.  Those  who  came  after  stumbled  per- 
haps over  the  body ;  and,  weary  as  they  were, 
they  did  not  leave  it  till  they  had  searched  the 
knapsack.  If  it  contained  any  treasure,  it  was 
added  to  their  own  load ;  but  this  double  bur- 
den was  sure,  in  a  few  days,  to  bring  a  similar 
fate  upon  them. 

As  the  severity  of  the  weather  increased, 
their  sufferings  were  terrible.  When,  perhaps, 
after  several  days'  march,  they  at  length  reached 
a  town,  they  found  only  ruins.  The  houses 
were  without  roofs,  windows,  doors,  or  stoves. 
They  had  destroyed  and  wasted  all  on  their 
previous  march  ;  and  bitterly  must  they  now 
have  repented  the  wanton  havoc  they  had  made. 

When  they  halted  for  the  night,  most  of  the 
soldiers  sank  down  upon  the  ground  over- 
powered with  weariness;  whilst  the  few  who 
had  sufficient  strength  left,  dragged  themselves 
with  difficulty  in  search  of  wood  with  which  to 
kindle  a  fire. 

Then  the  poor  frozen  soldiers  crowded  eagerly 
round  the  flame,  like  moths  round  a  candle; 
endeavoring  to  get  a  little  warmth  into  their 
benumbed  limbs.  As  they  lay  upon  the  ground, 
12  ■« 


138  '      THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


they  insensibly  drew  nearer  and  nearer  to  the 
comforting  element.  Nor  did  they  remark  the 
smell  when  their  clothes  were  singed  by  the 
fire ;  nor  did  they  even  feel,  though  their  frost- 
bitten feet  should  burn  from  contact  with  the 
flame. 

Profound  slumber  soon  overpowered  them. 
The  falling  snow  extinguished  the  fires,  and  the 
lives  of  many  of  the  sleepers  passed  away  with 
it.  When,  in  the  morning,  the  trumpet  sum- 
moned them  to  resume  their  march,  but  few 
arose  from  that  circle  of  frozen  bodies,  which 
remained  unburied  till  the  spring. 

The  horses,  too,  were  no  better  off.  They 
had  no  comfortable  stables  with  which  to  pass 
the  night,  and  all  the  nourishment  they  could 
get  was  a  little  hay.  They  consequently  soon 
lost  all  their  strength,  and  fell  dying  on  every 
side.  In  one  single  night  no  less  than  six  thou- 
sand were  frozen.  The  cavalry  were  therefore 
compelled  to  go  on  foot,  and  all  the  horses  that 
remained  were  harnessed  to  the  cannon  and 
ammunition  wagons. 

How  clearly  now  was  manifested  the  almighty 
power  of  God,  and  the  utter  weakness  of  man ! 
The  five  hundred  thousand  warriors  with  which 
Napoleon  expected  to  conquer  the  world  were. 


THE  RETREAT. 


1P9 


scattered  like  dust,  not  before  other  warriors, 
but  before  the  cold  wind  of  heaven. 

It  was  not  in  the  power  of  man  to  lessen  the 
severity  of  the  weather,  or  even  to  obtain  the 
supply  of  one  day's  provision  for  the  troops. 
The  generals  and  officers  could  no  longer  keep 
their  soldiers  in  order.  Misery  and  want  dis- 
solved all  the  bands  of  obedience,  fear,  and  sub- 
mission. The  warriors  forsook  their  colors, 
rested,  and  proceeded  as  they  pleased.  Alto- 
gether, the  army  resembled  an  unravelled  ball 
of  variegated  thread.  Their  route  was  marked 
by  dead  men  and  horses,  forsaken  wagons,  can- 
nons, weapons  thrown  aside,  and  plunder  of  all 
kinds. 

A  hundred  thousand  men  were  already  thus 
destroyed.  Augustus  still  lived ;  he  was  well, 
and  had  scarcely  suffered  at  all  from  hunger  or 
cold.  For  this  he  was  in  a  great  measure  in- 
debted to  Marie.  Before  they  set  out,  she  had 
given  him  several  useful  directions,  especially 
with  regard  to  the  climate  of  Russia.  Follow- 
ing her  advice,  he  had,  before  they  left  Moscow, 
provided  himself  with  stout,  well-made  boots, 
woolen  stockings,  and  warm  coats  and  trousers. 
He  also  put  a  few  pounds  of  chocolate  into  his 
knapsack,  to  be  reserved  for  a  time  of  necessity. 


140 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


His  youth,  gentle  demeanor,  and  obliging  dispo- 
sition, often  enabled  him  to  procure  provisions 
when  others  could  not.  He  marched  cheerfully 
with  the  little  band  that  was  now  all  that  re- 
mained of  his  regiment.  His  good  health,  at  a 
time  when  almost  all  beside  were  suffering,  ex- 
cited the  envy  of  his  less  fortunate  companions. 
The  drummer  especially  who  had  murdered  his 
little  sister  regarded  him  with  angry  and  vin- 
dictive feelings.  The  ill-will  which  he  had  en- 
tertained against  the  father  of  Augustus  on  ac- 
count of  the  wound  he  had  received,  was  now 
directed  towards  the  innocent  child.  It  was  a 
happy  thing  for  Augustus  that  cold  and  suffer- 
ing had  so  diminished  his  strength,  as  to  leave 
him  unable  to  execute  his  evil  designs,  or  the 
little  drummer  would  have  fared  badly. 

They  had  left  the  ruined  fortress  of  Smolensk 
far  behind  them,  when,  as  usual,  the  troops  took 
up  their  quarters  for  the  night  in  the  open  air. 
Augustus,  as  the  strongest  of  his  band,  went  in 
search  of  wood.  He  soon  made  a  good  fire, 
upon  which  the  soldiers  cooked  some  thin  pieces 
of  horse  flesh.  Augustus  had  still  a  consider- 
able portion  of  his  chocolate  remaining.  He 
had  wished  for  some  days  to  prepare  from  it  a 
warm  and  nourishing  drink  for  himself ;  but  he 


THE  RETREAT. 


141 


was  obliged  to  wait  until  he  could  do  it  secretly, 
knowing  that  otherwise  his  companions  would 
wrest  it  from  him  by  main  force.  AVaiting, 
therefore,  until  he  thought  they  w^ere  all  asleep, 
he  placed  his  little  cup  upon  the  fire,  and 
cooked  and  brewed  with  great  satisfaction.  He 
was  just  upon  the  point  of  tasting  the  draught 
he  had  prepared,  when  his  wicked  comrade 
moved. 

"Ah !"  he  exclaimed,  "that  smells  very  deli- 
cious. Is  it  chocolate  ?  Let  me  see,  my  fine 
fellow."  So  saying,  he  rose  up  as  quickly  as 
his  weakness  would  permit. 

Augustus  was  very  much  startled.  When 
he  saw  the  disturber  of  his  peace  tottering  to- 
wards him,  a  violent  conflict  arose  in  his  soul. 
Should  he  spare  any  of  his  chocolate  for  Emily's 
murderer  ? 

"  Comrade,"  he  said  at  length,  "  I  will  share 
with  you,  though  I  have  but  little  remaining." 

"What's  that?  What  do  you  mean  by  that? 
Share  indeed !"  returned  the  other  with  disdain. 
"  I  share  with  no  one  !  Give  me  the  dainty !" 
He  greedily  seized  the  cup  with  both  hands, 
and  at  one  draught  swallowed  the  whole  of  its 
contents. 

Augustus  looked  at  him  with  intense  rage. 


142 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


He  felt  himself  quite  strong  enough  to  throw 
the  weakened  scoundrel  into  the  flames  as  he 
cowered  over  them.  His  arms  already  trembled 
with  eagerness  to  accomplish  the  deed.  He 
had  raised  his  foot  to  assist  him  in  throwing  the 
wretch  down.  But  just  then  he  looked  at  the 
deep  blue  sky  above  his  head.  The  stars  were 
shining  brilliantly.  The  moon  at  that  moment, 
in  all  her  loveliness,  appeared  from  behind  a 
dark  cloud.  He  thought  of  the  God  who  had 
made  these  glorious  objects,  and  his  angry 
passions  were  calmed.  He  thought  to  himself, 
"It  is  better  to  suffer  evil  than  to  commit  evil;" 
and  he  quietly  lay  down  beside  his  sleeping  com- 
rades, using  his  knapsack  as  a  pillow.  Sleep 
soon  closed  his  eyes,  and  he  for  a  time  forgot 
his  sorrow. 

When  he  awoke  the  following  morning,  he 
found  himself  covered  with  snow ;  and  on 
shaking  it  olf,  he  perceived  that  he  was  also 
alone.  His  comrades  had  disappeared,  and  with 
them  his  knapsack.  From  the  peculiar  manner 
in  which  the  snow  was  heaped  upon  him,  he 
felt  certain  that  it  had  been  purposely  placed 
there,  apparently  with  a  view  to  prevent  his 
being  seen  by  the  others.  He  had  no  doubt 
that  the  same  person  had  done  this  who  had 


THE  RETREAT. 


143 


stolen  his  chocolate  and  his  knapsack — namely, 
the  wicked  drummer. 

Looking  round  him,  he  saw  numbers  of  dead 
bodies,  but  not  a  living  creature.  He  pursued 
his  journey,  and  after  some  hours'  traveling, 
arrived  at  a  spot  which  was  familiar  to  him. 
Surely  it  must  be  the  village  in  which  Marie's 
parents  had  formerly  lived  ?  There  lay  the 
heap  of  ruins  marking  the  spot  w^here  the  mill 
had  stood.  Only  the  stones  and  the  iron-work 
remained.  All  the  wood  that  had  been  left 
unconsumed  by  the  first  fire  had  been  burnt  up 
by  the  retreating  army.  The  uncovered  walls 
might  have  served  on  the  previous  night  as  a 
shelter  to  some  of  the  soldiers — at  least  so 
he  imagined,  from  the  fresh  ashes  and  the  dead 
bodies,  not  yet  covered  with  snow,  that  lay 
around. 

Augustus  found  himself  sadly  deceived  in 
his  expectations.  He  had  hoped  to  find  the 
village,  or  at  least  the  mill,  rebuilt,  and  occupied 
by  Marie  and  her  parents.  He  had  anticipated 
a  kind  reception  and  cordial  welcome  from  them. 
But  no  traces  of  them  were  to  be  seen. 

He  felt  the  calls  of  hunger,  but  could  find  no 
bread  in  his  pockets.  He  looked  round  him 
with  anxious  eyes  ;  nothing,  however,  could  he 


144 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


see  but  a  dead  horse  frozen  quite  hard,  from 
which  many  of  the  best  pieces  had  been  cut 
away.  He  could  not  fancy  such  a  meal.  Per- 
haps, thought  he,  there  may  be  something  eat- 
able in  these  knapsacks  that  lie  scattered  in  all 
directions.  With  some  trouble,  he  managed  to 
untie  the  strings  with  his  frozen  fingers,  and 
eagerly  rummaged  their  contents.  In  some  he 
found  gold  ;  in  others  silver  ;  but  in  none  what 
he  most  wanted — food.  How  willingly  would 
he  have  exchanged  fifty  pieces  of  gold  for  a 
dish  of  warm  food  ! 

A  carriage  with  broken  wheels  lay,  almost 
covered  with  snow,  in  the  little  hollow  through 
which  the  river  flowed.  In  searching,  Augustus 
found  many  boxes  lying  about,  some  broken 
and  others  quite  uninjured,  the  contents  of 
which  were  very  heavy. 

"  Money,  money,  nothing  but  money !"  sighed 
the  poor  boy.  "  Oh  if  these  had  but  contained 
biscuits,  or  even  flour !"  And  again  he  con- 
tinued his  search. 

A  wagon,  to  which  an  emaciated  frozen  horse 
was  harnessed,  now  attracted  his  attention.  The 
snow  was  drifted  into  it,  and  everything  inside 
was  incrusted  with  a  hard  coating  of  ice.  Au- 
gustus exerted  all  his  strength  to  pull  out  some 


THE  RETREAT. 


145 


clothes.  One  large  bundle  resisted  all  his 
efforts.  He  was  obliged  to  take  his  sword  to 
assist  him,  in  order  to  examine  its  contents. 

What  a  sight  met  his  eyes  when  he  had  suc- 
ceeded !  There  lay  a  young  woman,  wasted  to 
a  skeleton,  with  sunken  cheeks  and  hollow  eyes. 
At  her  breast  was  an  infant,  clothed  in  rags, 
and  tightly  enclosed  in  her  mother's  arms.  She 
had  evidently  tried  to  protect  her  child  from 
the  severe,  unpitying  frost,  and  had  exposed 
herself,  in  order  to  give  Avarmth  to  the  babe. 
The  tiny  head  rested  calmly  upon  her  breast, 
which  had  ceased  to  beat.  The  child's  heart 
was  also  still.  Both  had  passed  away  in  their 
sleep. 

Augustus  had  seen  so  much  misery  and 
death,  that  they  were  quite  familiar  to  him. 
But  this  scene  was  so  touching,  that  he  shed 
tears  of  real  sorrow,  and  turned  quickly  away. 

His  tormenting  feeling  of  hunger,  however, 
compelled  him  to  return  to  the  spot.  With 
trembling  hands  he  searched  the  wagon  for  pro- 
visions. At  length  he  discovered  a  large  bag  of 
gray  linen,  full  of  something  that  promised  to 
reward  his  efforts.  On  opening  it,  he  found 
half  of  its  contents  to  be  oats,  and  the  other 
half  flour.  What  joy !  He  also  found  a  tin 
13  K 


146 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


saucepan.  With  the  addition  of  some  melted 
snow,  he  now  prepared  a  mess  of  porridge, 
which,  though  it  was  unseasoned  by  either  salt 
or  butter,  tasted  to  him  most  delicious  ;  for 
hunger  is  always  the  best  seasoning.  Having 
thus  satisfied  his  craving  hunger,  Augustus  felt 
that  he  could  think  of  other  things.  He  had 
collected  as  much  gold  as  he  could  carry  with- 
out inconvenience,  when  a  happy  thought  came 
into  his  head.  He  remembered  the  little  stone 
vault  in  which  he  had  been  concealed  with 
Marie  during  the  burning  of  the  mill.  There 
he  carried  all  the  money  he  could  find,  and 
rolled  it  carefully  in  sundry  knapsacks  and 
packages.  "  There,"  thought  he,  "  will  be 
enough  to  rebuild  the  mill,  and  something  more 
besides."  His  greatest  treasure,  however,  the 
bag  of  meal,  he  placed  in  an  empty  knapsack, 
and  marched  off  with  it  upon  his  shoulders. 

In  the  evening  of  the  same  day  he  came  up 
with  the  hindermost  troops ;  they  were  en- 
camped in  the  neighborhood  of  a  dark  wood. 
He  wandered  through  the  ranks,  in  hopes  of 
getting  amongst  some  of  his  own  countrymen. 
As  he  passed  along,  an  imploring  voice  arrested 
him.  He  looked  up,  and  saw  a  soldier  sitting 
beside  his  horse,  and  dressed  in  a  very  singular 


THE  RETREAT. 


147 


style.  His  clothes  were  partly  those  of  a  man, 
and  partly  of  a  woman.  A  large  gown  covered 
his  legs,  and  partly  concealed  a  richly-orna- 
mented but  soiled  and  tattered  uniform.  A 
coarse  woolen  horse-cloth  served  him  as  a  shawl 
and  a  wrapper,  whilst  his  head  was  bound  round 
several  times  as  if  with  a  turban.  His  frag- 
ments of  boots  were  kept  together  by  wisps  of 
straw.  He  was  reclining  upon  the  body  of  the 
horse,  in  order  to  gather  some  heat  from  it. 

"Comrade,"  he  said  in  French,  "have  you 
anything  to  eat?  I  implore  you  to  give  me 
just  a  little  morsel  of  something." 

Augustus  stood  silent,  and  considered  whether 
he  should  grant  his  petition. 

"Ah,"  he  said  to  himself,  "I  have  to-day, 
for  the  first  time  these  many  days,  made  a 
hearty  meal ;  let  me  not  forget  what  the  Bible 
says,  *  To  do  good,  and  to  distribute,  forget  not ; 
for  with  such  sacrifices  God  is  well  pleased.' 
Wait  a  little,"  he  added  aloud,  "  I  will  go  and 
light  a  fire." 

He  then  quickly  cut  down  some  branches  of 
fir-trees  with  his  sabre,  and  managed  to  kindle 
a  capital  fire  with  them.  It  was  not  without 
great  trouble  that  he  accomplished  this.  The 


148 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


branches  were  covered  with  ice,  and  very  damp; 
but  after  many  vain  attempts,  they  kindled. 

Augustus  now  filled  his  tin  pot  with  snow, 
and  melted  it  over  the  fire.    This  he  had  to, 
do  repeatedly  before  it  was  filled  with  water. 
When  it  began  to  boil,  he  shook  the  oats  and 
meal  into  it,  and  cooked  them  both  together. 

"  But,"  said  Augustus  to  his  neighbor,  Avho 
kept  his  eyes  fixed  on  the  smoking  mess,  "I 
have  neither  salt  nor  lard." 

The  latter  searched  in  the  breast-pocket  of 
his  uniform  and  produced  something  carefully 
folded  in  paper,  which  he  handed  to  Augustus, 
saying,  "  There,  comrade ;  there  is  some  lard." 

What  did  Augustus  find  on  opening  it?  A 
piece  of  tallow  candle !  While  he  was  adding 
this  delicious  morsel  to  his  pottage,  the  French- 
man gave  him  another  paper,  which  he  said 
contained  salt. 

Had  he  not  said  so,  Augustus  would  have 
imaginied  it  to  be  a  small  sausage  folded  up. 
But  it  was  really  only  a  cartridge  containing 
gunpowder,  and  even  this  was  stirred  up  with 
the  other  contents  of  the  pot. 

And  now  Augustus  gave  an  iron  spoon  to  his 
guest,  who  ate  six  spoonfuls  with  great  avidity. 
Then  came  Augustus'  turn ;  but  a  sudden  light 


THE  RETREAT. 


149 


had  come  into  his  mind  whilst  the  Frenchman 
was  eating.  The  fire  was  now  burning  clearly, 
and  by  its  steady  light  he  could  better  distin- 
guish his  features.  In  spite  of  the  disfigure- 
ment of  his  face,  he  recognized  the  general  who 
had  been  the  cause  of  his  being  shot.  The  ge- 
neral himself  became  aware  of  this.  He  had 
little  imagined  that  his  benefactor  was  the  de- 
spised drummer,  Avho,  he  thought,  had  long 
since  been  numbered  with  the  dead. 

Augustus  now  enjoyed  a  peculiar  feeling  of 
satisfaction.  The  thought  that  he  had  rendered 
good  for  evil,  had  done  a  kindness  to  his  enemy, 
was  unspeakably  sweet  to  him.  In  his  sweet 
pleasure  he  would  have  forgotten  to  eat,  had 
not  the  general  pressed  him,  saying,  "Eat 
yourself,  comrade;  it  tastes  capitally."  Au- 
gustus obeyed,  and  ate  as  many  spoonfuls  as  the 
general  had  done.  He  then  gave  up  the  spoon 
again;  and  so  they  continued  until  the  saucepan 
was  empty. 

The  general  then  invited  him  to  sit  down  by 
his  side,  and  lean  against  his  horse.  He  com- 
plied, and  was  just  sinking  to  sleep,  when  the 
fearful  cry  arose,  "The  Cossacks! — the  Cos- 
sacks !" 

Then  was  heard  the  shrieking  of  men,  the 
13  * 


150 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


firing  of  muskets,  and  the  trampling  of  horses. 
All  was  confusion. 

The  general  sprang  upon  his  weary  horse, 
and  was  quickly  out  of  sight. 

Augustus  crept  beneath  some  branches  that 
had  not  yet  fed  the  fire,  and  waited  patiently 
until  the  tumult  had  subsided.  He  never  saw 
the  general  again. 


THE  PASSAGE  OF  THE  BEREZINA.  151 


CHAPTER  XV. 

THE  PASSAGE  OF"  THE  BEREZINA. 

The  army  at  length  reached  the  shores  of 
the  Berezina.  There  were  but  two  wretched 
bridges  by  which  the  river  could  be  crossed, 
and  these  were  quickly  crowded  with  fugitives, 
and  with  carriages  of  all  descriptions.  Each 
endeavored  to  be  first,  and  none  would  give 
precedence  to  the  others.  In  consequence  of 
this  tumultuous  struggling  for  priority,  the 
way  soon  became  absolutely  impassable.  Both 
bridges  were  stopped  up  with  horses,  cannons, 
powder-vans,  carriages,  and  men.  Near  one 
end  of  this  scene  of  confusion  stood  a  carriage 
without  horses ;  they  had  been  disengaged,  and 
taken  away  by  force,  to  assist  in  removing  some 
of  the  artillery  wagons. 

In  this  carriage  lay  a  man  so  dreadfully 
wounded  as  to  be  perfectly  helpless.  It  was 
the  colonel. 

"Save  yourselves,"  he  said  in  a  sorrowful 


152 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


voice,  addressing  Marie,  who  was  by  his  side, 
and  Hoier,  who  occupied  the  box.  "  Leave  me 
to  my  fate.  I  have  at  least  learned  to  look 
death  in  the  face,  and  it  matters  little  whether 
he  come  to  me  with  a  knout  or  a  sword  in  his 
hand." 

"No,  no,  colonel,"  .returned  Hoier;  "that 
man  must  be  a  bad  soldier  who  would  leave 
the  father  of  his  regiment  under  such  circum- 
stances. Besides,  here  we  are  like  a  mouse  in  a 
trap ;  we  cannot  move  forwards  or  backwards, 
whether  we  wish  it  or  no.  We  must  wait  till 
the  enemy  make  room  for  us  with  their  bullets." 

The  colonel  only  answered  with  a  deep  sigh. 

"  Are  you  hungry,  my  child  ?"  he  inquired  of 
Marie. 

She  shook  her  head,  although  she  had  eaten 
nothing  the  whole  day.  Night  came  on.  The 
confusion  increased  most  awfully.  It  attained 
its  height  on  the  morning  of  the  following  day, 
when  the  Russians  commenced  showering  a 
heavy  rain  of  bullets  upon  them.  Thousands 
upon  thousands  were  dashed  in  pieces,  crushed, 
trodden  down,  or  driven  over.  Save  your- 
selves !"  now  became  the  universal  cry.  With- 
out pity  or  remorse  the  French  then  killed  all 
their  sick  and  wounded.    The  weak  women  and 


2 


THE  PASSAGE  OF  THE  BEREZINA.  153 


children  were  ruthlessly  dragged  from  their  car- 
riages, which  the  soldiers  then  heaped  together, 
and  set  on  fire. 

As  some  of  them  approached  the  carriage  in 
which  the  colonel  was  lying,  with  the  intention 
of  serving  him  in  the  same  way,  Hoier  started 
in  a  rage  from  his  seat  on  the  coach-box. 

"Comrades,"  he  cried,  "are  you  going  to 
broil  us  like  a  parcel  of  steaks  ?  Here  lies  our 
valiant  colonel,  who  has  fought  seven  battles 
with  us,  and  received  thirteen  wounds  for  the 
Emperor.  Have  you  no  regard  for  an  officer 
of  the  Legion  of  Honor  ?  Let  him  at  least  die 
peacefully  in  his  carriage.  Respect  the  coffin 
of  a  brave  man." 

The  soldiers,  some  of  whom  understood  Ger- 
man, spoke  a  few  words  to  each  other,  and  then 
turned  away.    Hoier  watched  them  attentively. 

"Marie!"  he  quickly  cried  out,  "do  you  see 
what  those  fellows  are  doing  to  the  powder 
wagons  ?" 

"  No,"  returned  she. 

"  Can't  you  see  anything  ?  My  eyes  are  be- 
come so  weak." 

"  I  see,"  replied  Marie,  "  a  light  smoke  rising, 
as  if  from  a  lighted  paper." 


154 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


"Just  as  I  thought,"  muttered  Hoier  between 
his  teeth.    "  God  help  us  then  !" 

"  The  bridges  are  on  fire  !"  shouted  a  number 
of  voices  at  once,  and  a  general  shriek  of  hor- 
ror rose. 

"  We  are  lost !"  was  re-echoed  from  mouth 
to  mouth. 

"  True  enough,"  said  Hoier ;  "  'twill  very- 
soon  be  over  now.  In  a  short  time  we  shall 
burn  fast  enough.  At  all  events  we  sha'n't  die 
of  cold.  I  think  perhaps  it  is  almost  the  best 
thing  they  could  have  done  for  us.  We  shall 
be  soon  out  of  our  trouble.  And  yet,"  he 
added,  "  one  ought  to  do  all  that  he  can  to 
escape  death  ;  and  I  am  so  sorry  for  this  poor 
innocent  child  !  But  what  can  be  done?  If  I 
were  to  leave  the  carriage,  I  could  never  make 
my  way  to  the  powder  wagons  with  these 
wounded  hands,  nor  could  Marie  either.  It  is 
worth  trying  though,  whether  I  can  make  any 
one  understand  me,  and  get  them  to  remove  the 
match.  At  any  rate  I  shall  have  done  all  that 
I  can  do." 

"  Here !"  he  cried,  exerting  his  powerful 
voice  to  the  utmost.  "  The  powder  wagons  are 
on  fire  !    Is  there  any  one  who  will  save  us  all 


THE  PASSAGE  OF  THE  BEREZINA.  155 


by  taking  away  the  match  that  those  French 
rascals  have  placed  there  ?" 

These  words  had  the  very  opposite  effect  to 
what  Hoier  iDtended.  A  universal  panic  seized 
the  multitude.  Each  one  tried  by  instant  flight 
to  escape  the  threatened  explosion.  None  re- 
mained behind  but  those  who  were  half-dead, 
and  as  helpless  as  themselves.  There  was  con- 
sequently room  to  move  ;  but  so  much  time  had 
been  lost,  that  Hoier  deemed  escape  impossible. 
He  expected  the  explosion  every  instant. 

"  Are  you  afraid  to  die  he  now  asked  of 
Marie. 

"  No,"  answered  the  little  girl ;  "  for  then  I 
should  go  to  heaven,  and  never  be  hungry  and 
cold  any  more." 

"  You  are  right,  my  child,"  said  Hoier,  quite 
affected.  "  Pray  to  God  to  give  us  all  a  happy 
death.  All  will  be  over  with  us  now  very 
soon." 

"  Speak  out,"  said  he,  as  Marie,  with  her 
hands  clasped,  repeated  her  prayers  in  silence. 
"  I  must  take  my  part  in  it  too." 

Marie  began  again,  and  this  time  Hoier  did 
not  interrupt  her,  as  her  gentle  voice  pronounced 
the  words,  "  Our  Father  which  art  in  heaven," 
&c.    But  suddenly  she  stopped,  and  with  a  joy- 


156 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


ous  voice  cried  out,  "  Augustus  ! — there  comes 
Augustus !" 

She  nearly  jumped  into  his  arms  as  he  ap- 
proached. 

"  That  boy  again !"  said  Hoier,  laughing  and 
crying  at  the  same  instant.  "  Are  you  still 
alive  ?  Throw  yourself  down  on  the  ground  ; 
you  may  yet  escape  death.  The  match  laid  to 
the  ammunition  wagons  must  be  nearly  burnt 
away  by  this  time.  I  must  confess  I  should  like 
to  live  a  little  longer.  Would  not  you,  Marie  ? 
And  you  too,  my  brave  boy  ?  I  am  sure  the 
colonel  would  revive  at  the  very  sight  of  the 
rogue." 

But  whilst  he  was  thus  chattering,  Augustus 
had  run  towards  the  wagon,  and  in  a  moment 
snatched  away  the  match.  He  was  but  just  in 
time  to  prevent  the  powder  from  igniting. 
Then  carefully  closing  the  top  of  the  wagon, 
he  hastened  back  to  his  companions. 

And  now,  in  the  midst  of  death  and  destruc- 
tion, three  persons  might  be  found  so  filled  with 
joy  at  meeting  each  other  again,  that  they  quite 
forgot  the  horrors  that  surrounded  them.  The 
colonel,  however,  felt  neither  pain  nor  pleasure. 
He  lay  perfectly  insensible  to  all  that  passed. 

But  they  were  soon  recalled  to  their  circum- 


THE  PASSAGE  OF  THE  BEREZINA.  157 


stances.  Increasing  showers  of  cannon  balls 
exposed  them  ev^ery  instant  to  danger.  One  of 
them  crashed  through  the  colonel's  carriage. 
The  splinters  of  tlie  damaged  hind-wheel  flew 
in  all  directions,  and  some  of  them  struck  Au- 
gustus on  the  head.  The  carriage  with  its 
hea\y  contents,  fell  upon  his  right  leg,  and 
broke  it.  His  senses  forsook  him,  and  he 
fainted. 

When  he  ^ame  to  himself  again,  it  was  night ; 
but  the  full  moon  was  shining  brightly.  All 
was  quiet  around  him  ;  as  also  in  the  carriage, 
which  still  lay  on  his  leg.  But  he  heard  a  hol- 
low noise  at  some  distance,  which  he  at  length 
found  proceeded  from  the  Russian  soldiers,  who 
were  then  plundering  the  carriages  which  the 
French  had  piled  together  into  a  barricade,  and 
securing  what  prisoners  they  could. 

Augustus  felt  that  he  must  have  immediate 
assistance,  whether  it  came  from  friend  or  foe. 
Having  in  vain  endeavored  to  extricate  his  leg 
from  the  shattered  carriage,  he  began  to  shout. 
No  one  heard  him.  Looking  around,  he  per- 
ceived his  drum,  which  had  accompanied  him 
everywhere,  lying  by  his  side.  Glad  to  find 
some  means  of  making  himself  heard,  he  drew 
out  his  sticks,  and  beo-an  to  beat  a  thunderino; 

14 


158 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


tattoo.  The  sound  echoed  amidst  the  stillness 
of  the  night,  and  soon  he  found  it  had  produced 
some  effect  in  the  carriage. 

He  heard  something  moving,  and  then 
Hoier's  deep  voice  said  angrily,  "  Surely,  cap- 
tain, you  will  let  me  hang  up  my  cartridge-box 
first?" 

Marie,  too,  wept,  and  cried  out  convulsively, 
"  Bend  down,  Augustus,  that  the  bullets  may 
not  touch  you."  4. 

Even  the  colonel  was  roused,  and  ,muttered 
indistinctly,  "  Forward,  my  boys ;  at  them 
again  ;  strike  down  all  before  you  !" 

The  noise  of  the  drum  had  also  called  back  to 
consciousness  a  dying  man  who  was  stretched 
out  near  Augustus.  A  ball  had  entered  his 
body.  His  distorted  face  was  deadly  white, 
and  the  pale  moonlight  gave  a  ghastly  appear- 
ance to  his  half-opened  eyes ;  his  limbs  shook 
with  the  extreme  cold,  and  his  teeth  chattered 
as  his  dying  lips  gave  utterance  to  the  following 
words  : — 

"  I  didn't  do  it  this  time ;  'twas  the  devil 
did  it ;  I  only  did  it  once.  How  could  I  know 
that  the  noise  would  kill  the  child  ?  Woman, 
let  me  go,  I  say ;  you  are  strangling  me  ! " 


'if 


THE  PASSAGE  OF  THE  BEREZINA.  159 

With  wild  gestures  he  laid  hold  of  the  bodies 
around  him,  and  then  sank  down  quite  dead. 

The  drumsticks  fell  from  Augustus'  hands. 
The  murderer  of  his  dear  little  sister — the  thief 
who  had  stolen  his  knapsack — his  harsh,  bitter 
enemy — had  at  length  received  the  reward  of 
his  crimes !  And  all  the  past  circumstances 
rushed  vividly  before  his  mind  as  he  gazed  at 
the  stiffening  corpse. 

In  the  meantime  a  detachment  of  Russian 
soldiers  approached  the  young  drummer.  Marie 
had  recovered  from  her  fright,  and  as  she  recog- 
nised in  the  Russian  drummer  one  of  Augustus' 
pupils,  she  joyfully  said,  "  Bibskoff,  look  to 
your  master.    Don't  you  know  us  again  ?" 

Her  appeal  to  the  Russians  was  the  means  of 
procuring  a  more  endurable  lot  for  her  com- 
panions than  for  the  other  prisoners.  It  is  true 
they  were  robbed  of  the  money  they  happened 
to  have  about  them ;  but  they  were  more  carefully 
tended,  till  at  length  they  were  conveyed  to  a 
Russian  hospital ;  and  gradually  the  three 
wounded  prisoners  were  restored  to  perfect  health. 


160 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY.  ^ 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

THE  RETUKN. 

One  summer  and  two  winters  had  passed 
away;  most  of  the  houses  in  Marie's  native 
village  had  been  rebuilt;  and  even  the  little 
church  again  stood  there.  The  mill,  however, 
still  lay  a  heap  of  ruins.  Spring  had  arrived, 
bringing  with  it  the  fresh  grass,  and  the 
feathered  songsters  of  the  fields  and  trees ;  all 
traces  of  war  had  disappeared ;  save  that  here 
and  there  the  whitened  ribs  or  skulls  of  some 
of  the  unfortunate  horses  might  be  seen. 

At  noon,  one  bright  sunny  day,  a  Russian 
vehicle  drove  into  the  village  and  stopped  at 
the  spot  formerly  occupied  by  the  mill.  Nau- 
mau  the  miller  got  out  of  it,  and  assisted  his 
wife  and  two  children  to  alight.  Then  he  stood 
with  folded  arms  before  the  wreck  of  his  pro- 
perty, thinking  with  bitter  sorrow  of  the  past. 
His   wife   and   children   came   to   his  side. 


THE  RETURN. 


161 


"  Well,"  he  at  length  said,  "  here  ^ve  are  again ; 
but  where  is  the  money  to  rebuild  the  mill  ?" 

"Husband,"  returned  his  wife,  "I  cannot 
endure  the  sight  of  our  Marie's  tomb ;  I  can 
hear  her  cries  now  as  they  rent  my  heart  on 
that  terrible  night.  I  do  not  believe  I  could 
rest  a  night  here."  And  the  poor  woman  wept 
bitterly  as  she  spoke. 

"  I  feel  just  as  you  do,"  said  Naumau  ;  "  but 
what  else  can  we  do  ?  I  would  willingly  return 
to  my  native  country ;  for  since  I  would  not 
burn  my  mill  to  please  them,  it  is  not  very 
likely  that  we  shall  receive  a  hearty  welcome 
from  our  former  neighbors  here.  But  I  cannot 
go  back  utterly  destitute ;  the  money  I  might 
receive  for  the  piece  of  ground  would  be  a  mere 
nothing." 

In  the  meantime  a  company  of  men,  all 
dressed  alike,  entered  the  principal  street  of  the 
\allage.  They  were  German  prisoners  of  war, 
who  had  been  liberated,  and  were  now  return- 
ing home.  Under  their  overcoats  of  coarse  cloth 
they  wore  the  remains  of  their  uniforms,  and  in 
their  hands  they  carried  walking-sticks,  which 
they  had  cut  from  the  forest.  As  they  drew 
near  the  bridge,  some  of  the  men  left  the  others, 
and  walked  up  to  the  mill.  These  were  Au- 
u  *  L 


162 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


gustus,  the  colonel,  and  Hoier,  accompanied  by 
Marie.  As  soon  as  the  latter  perceived  her  pa- 
rents, she  sprang  into  her  mother's  arms.  At 
first  they  were  speechless  from  joy  and  surprise. 
Scarcely  could  they  believe  their  eyes,  at  find- 
ing her  alive  whom  they  had  so  long  mourned 
aa  dead.  It  was  an  affecting  scene.  Augus- 
tus, Marie's  preserver,  was  overwhelmed  with 
thanks,  praises,  and  blessings  by  the  miller's 
family. 

"But,"  said  Naumau,  "I  cannot  offer  you 
any  reward  for  your  noble  action ;  the  war  has 
robbed  me  of  everything ;  I  am,  indeed,  little 
better  than  a  beggar." 

At  these  words  Augustus  slipped  away  un- 
perceived  into  the  little  vault.  He  would  not 
say  anything  of  his  hidden  treasure  until  he 
had  convinced  himself  that  it  was  safe.  After 
moving  away  the  fragments  he  had  himself  so 
carefully  placed  upon  it,  he  found,  to  his  no 
small  delight,  the  knapsack — indeed  decayed 
and  useless,  and  the  money-box  rotted,  but  the 
gold  secure  and  untouched.  After  he  had  put 
a  small  sum  into  his  own  pocket,  he  returned 
to  the  open  air.  Young  as  Augustus  was,  he 
had  learned  many  lessons  by  experience;  and 
knowing  that  money  often  severs   the  best 


-I 


THE  RETURN. 


163 


friends,  he  thought  it  best  to  secure  a  certain 
portion  of  the  treasure  before  he  spoke  of  it  to 
the  others.  Then,  witli  the  delight  that  every 
one  feels  who  has  a  good  piece  of  news  to  an- 
nounce, he  joined  his  companions,  and  told  his 
tale  to  them. 

"During  our  retreat  I  concealed  a  good 
quantit}^  of  money,  and  if  you  please  we  will 
share  it  between  us.  Marie's  father  shall  re- 
ceive a  third  part  as  possessor  of  the  ground  in 
which  the  treasure  lies.  The  remaining  two- 
thirds  we  will  take  for  our  portion.  Are  you 
all  satisfied  with  this  arrangement  ?" 

"  For  my  part,"  said  the  colonel,  "  I  shall  be 
satisfied  with  just  enough  to  take  me  home.  I 
have  wealth  sufficient  w^hen  I  get  there;  and 
therefore,  my  good  boy,  I  will  not  deprive  you 
of  any  more  of  your  hoard." 

Hoier  looked  at  his  hands,  which  possessed 
but  three  half  and  two  whole  fingers,  and  then 
he  said,  "  I  cannot  work,  and  I  am  ashamed  to 
beg,  so,  my  lad,  I  must  accept  your  offer.  Let 
it  be  a  bargain." 

The  miller  and  his  w^ife  seemed  almost  beside 
themselves;  they  laughed  and  w^ept  for  joy,  and 
overwhelmed  the  young  treasure-finder  with 
their  gratitude.    And  now  the  money  was  care- 


164 


THE  DRUMMER  BOy! 


fully  stowed  away  in  the  carriage,  that  it  miglit 
not  be  perceived  by  the  inhabitants.  The  whole 
party  then  mounted,  and  bade  the  village  fare- 
well forever.  The  delighted  miller  had  now 
made  up  his  mind  to  return  to  his  native  coun- 
try. He  would  be  able  to  purchase  a  first-rate 
mill  with  his  share  of  the  treasure.  It  was 
agreed  that  the  division  should  be  made  in  the 
next  place  they  came  to,  and  a  carriage  be  pro- 
cured likewise.  The  three  prisoners  of  war  got 
in  the  last.  Those  who  were  returning  on  foot 
looked  at  them  with  envy,  and  one  of  them  im- 
plored the  colonel  to  let  him  accompany  them. 
He  was  the  same  lieutenant  who  had  treated 
Hoier  and  Augustus  so  haughtily,  but  he  was 
now  humbled  and  submissive. 

"  Herr  von  Seestein,"  answered  the  colonel, 
"  the  carriage  does  not  belong  to  me,  but  to  my 
comrades ;  if  they  will  consent,  I  will  not  place 
any  obstacles  in  the  way;" 

The  lieutenant  made  a  humble  petition  to  his 
former  subordinates,  who  cheerfully  granted  his 
request,  and  accommodated  him  the  best  way 
they  could. 


THE  CONCLUSION. 


165 


CHAl'TER  XVII. 

THE  CONCLUSION. 

Mr.  Werner  was  in  his  work-shop,  which 
was  situated  near  the  yard  of  his  house.  He 
was  standing  at  the  work-table  cutting  out 
leather,  and  was  alone  in  his  occupation. 
There  would  have  been  no  room  for  assist- 
ants even  had  he  had  any,  for  the  whole  place 
was  filled  with  furniture  and  bedding.  The 
principal  part  of  his  things  had  been  disposed 
of,  and  what  remained  betokened  great  neces- 
sity. 

It  was  in  the  beginning  of  May,  1814,  and 
nearly  twelve  o'clock.  The  door  opened,  and 
a  traveler  entered.  "God  bless  you,  friend 
Werner !"  said  he  as  he  came  into  the  room. 

Werner  looked  up.  His  sorrowful  face 
brightened ;  and  giving  the  new-comer  a  hearty 
shake  of  the  hand,  he  said  with  astonishment, 
"Ah,  my  old  school-fellow  Naumau,  are  you 
come  to  see  us  once  more  ?    It  is  not  often  you 


166 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


do  SO.  Where  have  you  hidden  yourself  so 
long?" 

"In  Eussia,"  answered  Naumau.  "I  had 
built  a  mill  there,  and  married  comfortably; 
but  since  the  French  chose  to  burn  it,  I  have 
returned,  bringing  my  whole  family  with  me." 

"And  what  are  you  thinking  of  doing  now?" 
inquired  Werner  anxiously. 

"  I  shall  either  buy  a  mill  or  take  a  farm." 

"  Have  you  any  money  ?"  asked  Werner. 

"  No  ;  but  I  have  kind  friends,  who  will  be 
answerable  for  me ;  you,  for  example,  are  well 
to  do — have  a  fine  house,  good  trade,  and  credit. 
Surely  you  can  do  something  for  me  ?" 

Werner  smiled  bitterly  as  he  replied,  "  Poor 
fellow-sufferer !  you  are  very  much  mistaken. 
Once  I  had  all  you  mention,  but  I  have  them 
no  longer.  Look  at  this  wretched  remnant  of 
my  former  prosperity.  This  work-shop  is  my 
only  dwelling,  and  to-morrow  even  that  will  be 
wanting.  The  house  will  be  sold  to  pay  my 
debts,  and  I  must  leave  it  for  ever.  Yes,  friend 
ISTaumau,  the  war  has  robbed  me  of  all  my 
property,  and  even  more  than  that." 

"  How  can  that  be  ?"  asked  Naumau  incre- 
dulously. 

"  Because  it  has  deprived  me  of  two  of  my 


THE  CONCLUSION. 


16T 


children,''  returned  "Werner  gloomily.  He  went 
to  a  door,  as  he  spoke,  opening  into  a  dark 
apartment,  that  served  as  a  kind  of  kitchen, 
and  said,  "  Dear  wife,  come  here.  A  friend  has 
come  to  see  us,  and  little  Emily  is  awake.  Will 
you  feed  her,  that  she  may  not  disturb  us  by 
her  crying  ?" 

Madame  Werner  came  in,  welcomed  the 
stranger,  and  went  to  the  cradle  to  take  up  her 
little  daughter. 

"  At  any  rate  you  have  a  sweet  child  there," 
said  Naumau. 

"  True,"  returned  Werner ;  but  I  would 
much  rather  it  had  been  a  boy.  Then  it  should 
have  been  called  Augustus." 

"  Why— don't  you  love  the  little  girl  ?" 

"  Indeed  I  do,"  answered  Werner  ;  "  all  the 
more  because,  through  her,  God  has  restored 
our  Emily  to  us.    But  my  Augustus  "  

The  poor  man  could  not  finish  his  sentence, 
but  walked  to  the  window  to  conceal  his  tears. 
"  What  of  your  Augustus  ?"  asked  his  friend 
sympathizingly. 

"  He  suffered  death  instead  of  me — a  cruel 
death  in  a  foreign  land,"  sobbed  Werner. 
"Yes,"  added  he,  "that  dear  child  is  lost  to  us 
for  ever  in  this  world." 


168 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


"  Where,  and  how  did  he  die  ?"  Naumau 

asked,  after  a  short  pause. 

Do  not  ask  me  any  more  !"  implored  Wer- 
ner. "  You  must  youi-self  either  have  seen  or 
heard  in  what  a  horrible  manner  the  soldiers 
were  cut  off  in  Russia  by  war,  hunger,  naked- 
ness, and  cold.    My  son  died  with  them." 

"  But  are  you  quite  sure  of  that  ?"  asked 
Naumau.  "  Many  German  prisoners  of  war 
are  now  returning  from  Russia,  and  I  have  my- 
self a  letter  from  a  young  drummer  to  his 
parents  in  this  place  to  deli  "  

"  From  a  young  drummer  ? — in  this  town  ?" 
cried  Werner  and  his  wife  with  one  voice, 
changing  color  as  they  spoke.  Both  trembled 
from  excitement. 

"  Yes,"  returned  Naumau  calmly,  putting  his 
hand  into  his  pocket. 

Werner  snatched  the  letter  from  him.  "  This 
iS'  my  son's  handwriting!"  shouted  he,  almost 
beside  himself  with  joy;  and  his  impatience 
was  so  great,  that  he  nearly  tore  the  letter 
instead  of  opening  it. 

The  cup  flew  from  Madame  Werner's  hand 
as  she  suddenly  rose  from  the  chair,  unmindful 
of  the  infant's  screams  at  the  loss  of  her  meal. 
She  ran  to  her  husband's  side,  that  she  might 


i 


THE  CONCLUSION. 


169 


see  as  inucn  as  possible  of  the  beloved  hand- 
writing. 

The  letter  contained  these  few  words  : — 

"  My  Beloved  Parents — I  am  alive  and 
well.    In  another  minute  I  shall  be  with  you. 

Your  loving  Augustus." 

The  door  opened.  "  Augustus  is  coming  ! — 
Augustus  is  coming !"  shouted  Robert  and  Ber- 
tha, while,  with  their  books  in  one  hand,  they 
drev/  their  brother  into  the  room  with  the 
other. 

When  the  tumult  had  a  little  subsided,  Au- 
gustus said,  "  I  have  brought  one  remembrance 
for  you  from  Russia,  which  we  will  always 
keep  and  he  drew  out  his  drum-sticks.  "  I 
saved  them.  The  drum  I  was  obliged  to  leave 
behind  in  Russia." 

"  There  is  another  little  remembrance,"  said 
Hoier  laughing,  as  he  pointed  to  the  table, 
where  the  men  had  silently  placed  the  bags  of 
money. 

"  That  is  not  all  mine !"  said  Augustus 
quickly,  when  he  had  counted  the  numbers. 

"  I  have  taken  the  liberty,"  continued  Hoier, 
"  of  adding  my  share  to  it.  I  thought,  perhaps, 
your  good  parents  would  be  able  to  find  a  little 

•  13 


ITO 


THE  DRUMMER  BOY. 


room  in  their  house  for  an  old  soldier  who  is 
very  easily  satisfied.  Though  he  has  lost  his 
fingers,  he  can  at  any  rate  manage  to  rock  a 
cradle,  and  see  that  the  little  ones  don't  get 
into  mischief.  The  colonel  has  consented  that 
I  should  stay  with  my  adopted  son,  and  has 
given  me  my  discharge." 

"  And  we,"  added  Naumau,  "  if  you  will 
receive  us,  will  stay  with  you  until  we  can  get 
a  mill.  "We  will  forget  all  our  troubles,  and 
make  but  one  family  for  the  present.  You  have 
got  your  house  again,  and  something  more 
into  the  bargain  !" 

"  This  is  the  best  billetting  I  ever  knew," 
said  Werner  cheerfully.  "  You  are  all  heartily 
welcome.  Run,  dear  wife,  and  you,  dear  chil- 
dren ;  buy  the  best  of  everything  at  the  eating- 
house.  But  let  us  first  thank  God,  who  has 
helped  us  in  our  trouble,  and  brought  all  to  a 
happy  conclusion.  'Tis  indeed  a  joyful  ending 
for  such  a  sorrowful  beginning.  God  be  praised 
for  it !  And  may  war,  with  all  its  horrors, 
never  come  back  to  us  again  !" 


Frontispiece  of  Part  II, 


The  Boatswain's  Son. 

The  Little  German  Drummer-Boy, 


THE   BOATSWAIN'S  SON. 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE  BATTLE. 

It  was  on  the  memorable  1st  of  June.  A 
sea  fight  ever  to  be  renowned  in  history  was 
raging  between  the  fleets  of  England  and 
France.  The  great  guns  were  thundering  and 
roaring,  musketry  was  rattling,  round  shot,  and 
chain  shot,  and  grape,  and  langridge,  and  mis- 
siles of  every  description,  invented  for  carrying 
on  the  bloody  game  of  war,  were  hissing  through 
the  air,  crashing  against  the  sides  of  the  ships, 
rendinsr  them  asunder,  shattering:  the  tall  masts 
and  spars,  sending  their  death-dealing  fragments 
flying  around,  and  hurling  to  the  deck,  mangled 
and  bleeding,  the  gallant  seamen  as  they  stood 
at  their  quarters  in  all  the  pride  of  manhood, 
fighting  for  the  honor  and  glory  of  their  re- 
spective countries.    A  dark  canopy  hung  over 

171 


172 


THE  boatswain's  son. 


the  scene,  every  moment  increasing  in  density 
as  the  guns  belched  forth  their  flashes  of  flame 
and  clouds  of  smoke,  filling  the  pure  air  of 
heaven  with  sulphureous  vapors,  and  almost 
concealing  the  fierce  combatants  from  each 
other's  gaze. 

"Who  is  that  brave  youngster?"  asked  the 
captain  of  the  renowned  'Marlborough,'  a 
seventy-four,  which  lay  hotly  engaged  sur- 
rounded by  foes  in  the  thick  of  the  fight ;  "  I 
never  saw  a  cooler  thing  or  better  timed." 

"  The  son  of  Mr.  Kipley  the  boatswain,  sir," 
Avas  the  answer. 

"  I  must  have  my  eye  on  him,  there  is  stuff 
in  that  lad,"  observed  the  captain.  The  deed 
w^hich  had  called  forth  this  remark  was  cer- 
tainly well  worthy  of  praise.  The  "Marl- 
borough" had  for  some  time  been  furiously 
engaged,  sllmost  broadside  to  broadside,  with 
the  "  Impetueux,"  a  French  seventy-four, 
Avhich  ship  had  just  fallen  aboard,  the  French- 
man's bowsprit  becoming  entangled  in  her 
mizzen  rigging.  To  keep  her  antagonist  in  that 
position  was  of  the  greatest  consequence  to  the 
"'  MarlborouMi,"  as  she  miofht  thus  rake  her 
fore  and  aft,  receiving  but  little  damage  in 
return.    An   officer  and   two  or   three  men 


THE  BATTLE. 


173 


sprang  into  the  "  Marlborough's  "  mizzen  rig- 
ging to  secure  the  bowsprit  to  it.  The  French 
small-arm  men  ruslied  forward  to  prevent  this 
being  done,  by  keeping  up  a  fire  of  musketry. 
The  two  seamen  fell.  The  lieutenant  still  hung 
in  the  rigging,  but  the  rope  with  which  he  was 
lashing  the  bowsprit  to  it  was  shot  from  his 
hand;  no  other  was  within  reach.  Having  just 
delivered  the  powder  he  had  brought  from 
below,  young  Ripley  was  watching  the  pro- 
ceeding. Seizing  a  rope  he  sprang  into  the  rig- 
ging unhurt  amid  a  shower  of  bullets,  and 
handed  it  to  the  brave  officer.  Together  they 
made  the  required  turns  for  lashing  it  fast,  and 
descended  to  the  deck  in  safety.  The  young 
powder-boy  then  resuming  his  tub  was  speedily 
again  seen  at  his  station,  composedly  sitting  on 
the  top  of  it  as  if  he  had  performed  no  unusual 
deed.  The  "  Marlborough  "  had  soon  another 
antagonist,  the  "  Mucins,"  seventy-four,  which 
fell  aboard  her  on  the  bow,  the  three  ships 
thus  forming  a  triangle,-  of  which  the  British 
ship  was  the  base.  With  these  two  opponents, 
each  more  powerful  than  she  was,  the  "  Marl- 
borough" continued  the  seemingly  unequal 
fight,  but  the  stout  arms  and  hearts  of  her  crew 
made  amends  for  their  inferiority  in  numbers. 

15 


1Y4 


THE  boatswain's  SON. 


Her  mizzen-mast  fell  soon  after  the  "  Mucius  " 
engaged  her,  her  fore  and  main-masts  followed, 
and  the  Frenchmen  began  to  hope  that  victory- 
was  to  be  theirs.  So  w^ell,  however,  did  her 
crew  work  their  guns,  that  they  quickly  shot 
away  the  bowsprit  and  all  the  lower  masts  of 
the  "  Impetueux,"  those  of  the  "  Mucius  "  soon 
sharing  the  same  fate.  At  this  juncture  another 
French  ship,  the  "  Montague,"  passing  under 
the  "  Marlborough's  "  stern,  fired  a  broadside 
into  her  of  round  shot  and  langridge,  killing 
many  of  her  brave  crew,  and  wounding  among 
others  her  captain,  though  receiving  but  a  few 
shots  in  return.  The  first  battle  in  that  long, 
protracted,  and  bloody  war  was  over,  and  w^on 
by  England's  veteran  admiral.  Lord  Howe  ;  six 
of  the  enemy's  finest  line  of  battle  ships  form- 
ing the  prize  of  victory,  and  among  them  the 
"  Impetueux." 

"  The  "  Marlborough's  "  captain  had  not  for- 
got the  promise  he  had  made  to  himself  in  favor 
of  Young  Ripley.  he  lay  wounded  in  his 
cabin  he  sent  for  the  boatswain.  The  proud 
father  had  heard  of  his  son's  gallantry,  and  the 
captain's  words  had  been  repeated  to  him.  It 
would  be  difficult  to  find  a  finer  specimen  of  a 
seaman   than   the  boatswain   of  the  "  Marl- 


i 


THE  BATTLE. 


175 


borough "  presented,  as,  still  in  the  prime  of 
manhood,  he  stood,  hat  in  hand,  before  his  cap- 
tain. By  his  manner  and  appearance  he  looked 
indeed  well  fitted  for  the  higher  ranks  of  his 
profession,  but  it  was  his  lot  to  be  a  boatswain, 
and  he  did  not  complain.  With  unfeigned 
satisfaction  he  heard  the  account  of  his  son's 
gallantry  and  coolness  rehearsed  by  the  cap- 
tain's lips. 

"  You  have  always  proved  yourself  to  be  a 
brave  man  and  a  good  officer,  and-  although  I 
have  it  not  in  my  power  to  reward  you  as  you 
deserve,  I  can  your  son,"  said  the  captain. 
"Would  it  be  satisfactory  to  you  to  see  him 
placed  on  the  quarter-deck  ?" 

The  father's  heart  beat  quick ;  the  blush  of 
gratified  pride  rose  to  his  cheeks  as  he  an- 
swered, "  It  is  the  thing  of  all  others  I  should 
prize.  I  trust  that  he  Avill  not  be  found  un- 
fitted for  the  rank  to  which  he  may  attain  if 
you  thus  put  his  foot  on  the  lower  ratlins." 

"  I  am  glad  to  have  hit  the  thing  to  please 
you,,  Mr.  Ripley,"  said  the  captain.  "Your 
son  shall  at  once  be  rated  as  a  midshipman  in 
the  ship's  books  ;"  and  then  he  added,  a  shade 
of  grief  passing  across  his  countenance,  "  He 
will  have  no  difficulty  in  getting  an  outfit  from 


1 


176 


THE  boatswain's  SON. 


the  kits  of  the  four  youngsters  who  were  killed 
on  the  1st.    By  the  by,  what  is  he  called  ?" 

"Pearce,  sir — Pearce  Ripley  is  his  name," 
answered  the  boatswain. 

"  Very  well ;  send  my  clerk  to  me,  and  tell 
your  boy  that  he  is  a  midshipman.  The  first 
lieutenant  will  introduce  him  to  his  new  mess- 
mates, and  secure  him  a  favorable  reception," 
said  the  captain  as  the  boatswain  withdrew. 

Pearce  Ripley  was  a  fine-looking  lad  of  about 
fourteen,  with  an  ingenuous  countenance  and 
frank  manner,  which  spoke  of  an  honest,  brave 
heart.  With  the  ship's  company  he  had  been 
a  general  favorite ;  it  was  to  be  proved  how  far 
he  would  recommend  himself  to  the  officers. 

In  the  afternoon  the  young  gentlemen,  as  all 
the  members  of  the  midshipmen's  mess  were 
called,  were  summoned  on  the  quarter-deck,  and 
briefly  addressed  by  Mr.  Monckton,  the  first 
lieutenant.  Pearce  Ripley  was  then  sent  for, 
and  the  boatswain's  son  had  no  cause  to  com- 
plain of  his  reception  by  those  whose  messmate 
he  was  about  to  become.  They,  with  one  ex- 
ception, came  forward  and  cordially  shook  him 
by  the  hand,  and  when  he  entered  the  berth 
they  all  seemed  to  vie  who  should  pay  him  the 
most  unobtrusive  attention  as  forthwith  to  place 


J 


THE  BATTLE. 


177 


him  at  his  ease.  Pearce  had  gained  the  respect 
of  his  messmates ;  he  soon  won  their  regard  by 
his  readiness  to  oblige,  his  good  temper,  his  evi- 
dent determination  not  to  give  or  take  offence, 
and  his  general  kind  bearing  towards  all.  On 
duty  he  showed  that  he  was  resolved  to  merit 
the  good  opinion  which  had  been  formed  of 
him.  The  only  person  who  differed  from  the 
majority  was  Harry  Verner,  a  midshipman  of 
about  his  own  age.  Though  Verner  had  shaken 
nands  with  him,  it  had  been  with  reluctance 
and  marked  coldness.  His  manner  was  now 
haughty  and  supercilious  in  the  extreme,  and 
he  took  every  opportunity  of  making  sneering 
remarks  about  men  who  had  risen  from  the 
lower  orders  always  being  out  of  place  and 
never  doing  any  good.  "  If  such  were  to  be- 
come customary  in  the  service,  it  would  drive 
all  the  gentlemen  out  of  it,"  he  remarked  one 
day  in  Pearce's  hearing."  "Not  if  those  who 
entered  it  knew  how  to  behave  as  gentlemen," 
Pearce  replied,  quietly.  Verner  said  nothing 
in  return,  but  he  gave  a  look  to  show  his  in- 
tense displeasure.  Generally  Pearce  walked 
away  when  Verner  spoke  in  that  style,  or  when 
at  table,  and  he  could  not  move,  pretended  not 
to  hear  what  was  said. 

M 


178  THE  boatswain's  son. 


CHAPTER  II. 

PROMOTION  AND  A  CRUISE. 

The  "  Marlborough,"  though  victorious,  had 
received  so  tremendous  a  battering  from  her 
numerous  opponents,  that  it  was  very  clear  the 
stout  craft  could  not  again  go  to  sea  without  a 
thorough  repair.  Her  officers  and  crew  were 
therefore  distributed  among  other  ships  then  fit- 
ting out,  and  thus  Pearce,  for  the  first  time  in 
his  life,  was  separated  from  his  father,  to 
whom  he  had  always  been  accustomed  to  look 
for  guidance  and  advice.  In  some  respects 
this  might  have  been  an  advantage  to  the 
young  midshipman,  but  the  parting  cost  both 
more  pains  than  either  confessed.  "I  am  no 
great  preacher,  my  boy,  but  remember  there's 
One  ever  watching  over  you,  and  he'll  be  true 
to  you  if  you  try  honestly  to  be  true  to  him," 
said  the  boatswain,  as  he  wrung  his  son's  hand, 
and  stepped  down  the  side  of  the  fine  frigate  to 
which  Pearce,  through  the  interest  of  his  late 


PROMOTION  AND  A  CRUISE.  179 

captain,  had  been  appointed.  The  crew  went 
tramping  round  the  capstan  to  the  sound  of  the 
merry  fife,  the  anchor  was  away,  and  under  a 
wide  spread  of  snowy  canvass  the  dashing 
"  Blanche"  of  thirty-two  guns,  commanded  by 
the  gallant  Captain  Faulkner,  stood  through 
the  Needle  passage  between  the  Isle  of  Wight 
and  the  main,  on  her  way  down  channel,  bound 
out  to  the  West  Indies.  It  was  a  station  where 
hurricanes,  yellow  fever,  and  sicknesses,  and 
dangers  of  all  sorts  were  to  be  encountered,  but 
it  was  also  one  where  enemies  were  to  be  met 
with,  battles  to  be  fought,  prizes  to  be  captured, 
and  prize-money  to  be  made,  glory,  honor,  and 
promotion  to  be  obtained,  and  who  on  board  for 
a  moment  balanced  one  against  the  other  ? 

Several  of  Pearce's  old  shipmates  were  on 
board  the  "Blanche,"  and  two  of  his  messmates, 
from  one  of  whom,  Henry  Verner,  he  would 
rather  have  been  separated ;  the  other,  David 
Bonham,  he  was  very  glad  to  see.  Between 
Bonham  and  Verner  the  contrast  was  very 
great ;  for  the  former,  though  of  excellent  fa- 
mily, was  the  most  unpretending  fellow  possi- 
ble, free  from  pride,  vanity,  and  selfishness,  and 
kind-hearted,  generous,  good-tempered,  and  the 
merriest  of  the  merry.    The  first  A.  B.  who 


180 


THE  boatswain's  SON. 


volunteered  for  the  "  Blanche,"  when  he  knew 
Mr.  Pearce  had  been  appointed  to  her,  was  Dick 
Rogers,  an  old  friend  of  his  father's,  with  whom 
he  had  served  man  and  boy  the  best  part  of  his 
life ;  and  if  there  was  one  thing  more  strongly 
impressed  on  Dick's  mind  than  another,  it  Avas 
that  John  Ripley,  the  boatswain,  ought  to  have 
been  a  post  captain.  For  his  father's  sake  Dick 
had  at  first  loved  Pearce,  and  now  loved  him 
for  his  own. 

Dick  Rogers  was  short  and  broad  in  the 
shoulders,  though  not  fat,  with  a  huge,  sandy 
beard,  a  clear  blue  eye,  and  an  honest  smile  on 
his  lips,  and  saying  that  he  was  a  seaman  every 
inch  of  him,  he  needs  no  further  description. 
Yerner  let  it  be  known,  among  their  new  mess- 
mates, that  Pearce  Ripley  was  only  the  boat- 
swain's son ;  and  hearing  this,  Bonham  took 
great  care  to  recount  to  them  his  gallant  act  on 
the  1st  of  June,  and  to  speak  otherwise  in  his 
praise.  Dick  did  not  fail  to  make  the  young 
midshipman  his  theme,  and  there  the  fact  of  his 
parentage  was  undoubtedly  in  his  favor.  "  We 
shall  be,  no  doubt,  alongside  an  enemy  some 
day  soon,  and  then  will  be  seen  what  stuff  the 
youngsters  are  made  of,"  was  the  remark  of  se- 
veral on  board.    They  were  not  wrong  in  their 


PROMOTION  AND  A  CRUISE.  181 

prognostications.  The  Island  of  Desiderade, 
near  Guadaloupe,  was  in  sight  to  windward. 
"A  sail  on  the  weather  bow !"  was  shouted  by 
the  look-out  at  the  mast's  head,  always  the 
keenest  sighted  of  the  seamen  on  board  in  those 
days. 

The  frigate  made  all  sail  in  pursuit  of  the 
stranger,  a  large  schooner  under  French  colors. 
The  chase  stood  into  a  bay  defended  by  a  fort, 
where  she  was  seen  to  anchor  with  springs  to 
her  cables.  Along  the  shore  a  body  of  troops 
were  also  observed  to  be  posted.  The  drum 
beat  to  quarters  as  the  "  Blanche"  worked  up 
towards  the  fort,  when,  the  water  shoaling,  she 
anchored  and  opened  her  fire  in  return  for  that 
which  the  fort,  the  schooner,  and  the  soldiers 
were  pouring  in  on  her.  Captain  Faulkner's 
first  object  was  to  silence  the  fort.  This  was 
soon  done.  The  schooner,  which  it  was  clear 
was  heavily  armed,  must  be  brought  out.  The 
boats  were  called  away,  under  command  of  tlie 
second  lieutenant.  Pearce  leaped  into  the  one 
to  which  he  belonged.  A  master's  mate,  Fitz- 
gibbon,  had  charge  of  her,  and  Dick  Rogers 
formed  one  of  her  crew.  Harry  Verner  was  in 
another.  The  Frenchmen  worked  their  guns 
bravely.    A  shot  disabled  the  leading  boat. 

16 


182  THE  boatswain's  son. 


Pearce,  sitting  by  Fitzgibbon's  side,  heard  a 
deep  groan,  and  before  he  could  even  look  up, 
the  master's  mate  fell  forward,  shot  through  the 
head.  His  boat  took  the  lead.  "  Now's  your 
time,"  cried  Dick  Rogers ;  "  we'll  be  the  first 
aboard,  lads."  The  crew  were  not  slack  to  fol- 
low the  suggestion.  In  another  moment  they 
were  up  to  the  schooner,  and,  leaping  on  her 
deck,  led  by  Pearce,  laid  on  them  so  fiercely 
with  their  cutlasses  that  the  Frenchmen,  desert- 
ing their  guns,  sprang  over  the  bulwarks  into 
their  boats  on  the  other  side  nearest  the  shore^ 
and,  before  another  boat  reached  the  vessel^ 
pulled  away  towards  where  the  troops  were 
marching  down  to  their  support.  The  cables 
were  quickly  cut,  and  amid  a  shower  of  bullets 
sail  was  made,  and  the  prize  carried  out.  "  I 
said  as  how  he'd  do  it — I  said  he  would  not  be 
wanting,"  exclaimed  Dick  Rogers,  as  he  gave 
his  account  of  the  cutting  out  expedition  to  his 
r  chums  on  board.  ''He'll  do  more  too  come 
another  occasion."  That  occasion  did  occur 
before  many  days  were  over.  Two  days  after- 
wards the  "  Blanche"  was  joined  by  the  "  Que- 
bec" frigate,  and  together,  when  sailing  by 
Guadaloupe,  they  discovered  the  French  thirty- 
six  gun  frigate  "  Pique"  lying  at  anchor  in  the 


PROMOTION  AND  A  CRUISE. 


183 


harbor  of  Pointe-a-Pitre,  ready  for  sea.  Not  to 
deprive  his  brother  captain  of  the  honor  he 
might  obtain  by  engaging  an  antagonist  so 
worthy  of  him,  Captain  Carpenter  parted  com- 
pany, and  the  "  Quebec,"  steering  westward, 
was  soon  out  of  sight.  The  next  thing  to  be 
done  was  to  get  the  French  frigate  to  come  out 
from  under  her  protecting  batteries  to  fight. 
This  seemed  no  easy  matter,  for  prizes  were 
captured  and  sent  away  under  her  very  nose, 
and  still  she  did  not  venture  forth.  At  length, 
however,  on  the  memorable  evening  of  the  4th 
of  January,  the  "  Blanche,"  towing  ofP  another 
prize  in  triumph,  the  "  Pique"  was  seen  to  follow. 
The  sun  went  down.  It  was  the  last  many  a 
brave  man  was  destined  to  see.  Darkness  had 
come  on,  when  the  French  frigate  was  observed 
through  the  gloom  astern.  The  "Blanche" 
tacked  in  haste. 

In  the  solemn  hour  of  midnight,  while  dark- 
ness covered  the  face  of  the  deep,  the  two  ves- 
sels approached  each  other,  their  relative  posi- 
tions clearly  distinguished  by  the  light  from  the 
fighting  lanterns  which  streamed  from  their 
ports.  The  British  crew,  mostly  stripped  to 
the  waist,  stood  at  their  quarters,  grim  and  de- 
termined, with  the  gun-tackles  in  hand,  eager 


184 


THE  boatswain's  SON. 


for  the  moment  to  open  fire.  Pearce  was  on 
the  quarter-deck.  Young  as  he  was,  the  whizz- 
ing of  shots  and  the  whistling  of  bullets  scarcely 
made  his  heart  beat  quicker  than  usual,  and 
yet,  as  in  gloom  and  silence  he  waited  for  the 
signal  w^hen  the  bloody  strife  must  soon  com- 
mence, he  felt  an  awe  creep  over  him  he  had 
never  before  experienced.  Nearer  and  nearer 
the  combatants  drew  to  each  other.  The 
"Pique"  commenced  the  fight.  The  "Blanche" 
returned  her  distant  fire ;  and,  after  various 
manoeuvres,  the  two  frigates  ranged  up  along- 
side each  other  and  hotly  engaged,  broadside  to 
broadside.  Fiercely  the  two  crews  fought ; 
the  French,  once  having  begun,  proved  them- 
selves no  unworthy  antagonists.  The  main  and 
mizen  masts  of  the  "  Blanche "  fell,  and  the 
French,  seizing  the  moment,  ran  alongside  and 
attempted  to  board.  The  British  crew  sprang 
up  to  repel  them.  Among  the  foremost  was 
Pearce,  with  Dick  Rogers  by  his  side.  With 
their  cutlasses  they  drove  the  Frenchmen  back. 
Again  the  guns  roared  as  before.  Once  more 
the  French  ship  fell  aboard  the  "  Blanche,"  her 
bowsprit  touching  the  latter's  capstan.  Captain 
Faulkner  hurried  to  secure  it  there,  for  the 
"  Pique,"  thus  held,  was  exposed  to  the  raking 


'4 


PROMOTION  AND  A  CRUISE. 


185 


fire  of  his  frigate.  Among  those  who  flew  to 
assist  him  were  Pearce  Ripley  and  Dick  Rogers, 
the  Frenchman's  musketry  playing  hotly  on 
them.  "  This  is  something  like  what  you  did 
in  the  old  ^Marlborough/  sir,"  said  Dick  to 
Pearce,  so  loud  that  all  might  hear  him — so 
many  did,  and  noted  the  Avords.  Death  was 
busy  around  them.  While  he  was  passing  the 
lashing  the  young  and  gallant  Captain  Faulk- 
ner fell  to  the  deck — a  musket  ball  had  pierced 
his  heart.  That  was  no  time  for  grieving,  even 
for  one  well-beloved  as  the  captain.  A  hawser 
was  being  got  up  from  below  to  secure  the 
enemy's  ship  ;  but  before  it  could  be  used  she 
broke  adrift.  A  cheer,  however,  burst  from 
their  throats  as,  directly  afterwards,  the 
"Blanche,"  paying  off  for  want  of  after-sail, 
the  "  Pique,"  while  attempting  to  cross  her 
stern,  fell  once  more  aboard  her.  This  time 
they  took  good  care  to  secure  the  bowsprit  to 
the  stump  of  their  mainmast;  and  now,  run- 
ning before  the  wind,  the  "  Blanche  "  towing 
her  opponent,  the  fight  was  continued  with 
greater  fury  than  ever.  In  vain  the  French- 
men strove  to  free  themselves  by  cutting  the 
lashings — each  time  they  made  the  attempt  the 
marines  drove  them  back  with  their  musketry. 

16  * 


i 


186 


THE  boatswain's  SOX. 


Still  it  seemed  doubtful  with  whom  victory  would 
side.  The  "  Blanche "  had  no  stem  ports 
through  which  guns  could  be  fought ;  the  car- 
penters were  unable  to  aid  them.  A  bold 
expedient  was  proposed.  The  guns  must  make 
ports  for  themselves  through  the  transome. 
Firemen  with  buckets  were  stationed  ready  to 
extinguish  the  fire  which  the  discharge  would 
create.  With  a  thundering  roar  the  guns  sent 
their  shot  through  the  stern,  and,  the  fire  being 
extinguished,  they  began  to  play  with  terrific 
effect  into  the  bows  of  the  French  frigate.  Her 
fore-mast  was  immediately  shot  away;  her 
mizen-mast  was  seen  to  fall.  Still  her  crew, 
getting  their  quarter-deck  guns  trained  aft, 
fought  on ;  but  what  were  they  to  the  "  Blanche's  " 
heavy  guns,  which  mercilessly  raked  her,  the 
shot  entering  her  boA^and  tearing  up  her  deck 
fore  and  aft,  sweeping  away  numbers  of  her 
crew  at  each  discharge.  "  If  those  Mounseers 
are  not  made  of  iron,  they'll  not  stand  this  bat- 
tering much  longer,"  cried  Dick  Rogers,  who 
was  working  one  of  the  after-guns.  Pearce  was 
standing  near  him.  The  space  between  the 
decks  was  filled  with  smoke,  through  which  the 
twinkling  light  of  the  lanterns  could  scarcely 
penetrate,  the  flashes  at  each  discharge  showing 


PROMOTION  AND  A  CRUISE. 


187 


the  men,  begrimed  with  powder,  with  sponge 
and  rammers  ready  to  load,  or  with  their  tackles 
to  run  in  their  guns.  A  cheer  from  the  deck 
told  them  that  the  Frenchman's  remaining  mast 
had  fallen,  and  now  another  and  another  that 
the  foe  had  struck.  The  "  Pique  "  was  totally 
dismasted  :  the  "  Blanche  "  had  but  her  fore- 
mast standing.  Every  boat  was  knocked  to 
pieces,  and  how  to  get  on  board  the  prize,  still 
towed  by  the  hawser,  was  the  question.  "  The 
hawser  must  form  our  bridge,"  cried  Mr.  Milne, 
the  second  lieutenant  of  the  ship,  springing  on 
to  it,  followed  by  Pearce,  Rogers,  and  several 
men.  Their  weight  brought  the  rope  down  into 
the  water.  For  some  distance  they  hacj  to  swim 
till  they  could  climb  up  by  it  on  board.  What 
havoc  and  destruction  a  few  short  hours  had 
wrought.  Of  a  crew  not  far  short  of  three  hun- 
dred men,  one-third  lay  dead  or  wounded,  the 
deck  covered  with  gore  and  the  wrecks  of  the 
masts  and  spars ;  guns  lay  dismounted,  bulwarks 
knocked  away,  all  telling  the  tale  of  the  bravery 
and  hardihood  of  both  the  combatants.  Such 
was  one  of  the  scenes  through  which  young 
Ripley  fought  his  way  upwards,  and  gained  a 
name  and  fame. 


188  THE  boatswain's  son. 


CHAPTEK  III. 

THE  SHIPWRECK. 

The  "  Blanche "  was  soon  refitted  and  at 
sea  again.  Several  prizes  were  made,  a^d 
greatly  to  his  satisfaction,  he  was  appointed  to 
the  command  of  one  of  them,  with  Bonham  as 
his  mate,  and  Dick  Rogers  as  boatswain.  She 
was  a  richly-laden  West  Indiaman,  recaptured 
from  the  enemy.  He  was  ordered  to  take  her 
to  England,  where,  on  his  arrival,  he  found  his 
commission  waiting  for  him. 

Pearce  received  a  right  hearty  welcome  from 
his  father,  and  intense  was  the  satisfaction  of 
the  brave  seaman  when  his  son  showed  him  his 
commission  and  appointment  as  second  lieuten- 
ant to  the  "  Vestal,"  an  eighteen  gun  sloop  of 
war,  commanded  by  Captain  Gale,  and  destined 
for  the  North  American  station. 

"  You  have  got  your  first  step  up  the  ratlins, 
Pearce.  Go  on  as  you  have  begun,  and  Heaven 
preserving  your  life,  there  is  no  reason  why  you 


THE  SHIPWRECK. 


189 


shouldn't  reach  the  highest,"  said  the  proud 
father,  as  he  once  more  parted  from  his  son. 

Those  were  days  of  press-gangs,  and  Dick 
Kogers  took  good  care  to  hide  away  till  he  as- 
certained the  craft  Pearce  was  to  join,  when  he 
at  once  volunteered  for  her.  Bonham,  who  had 
still  a  year  to  serve,  was  appointed  to  the  same 
ship.  The  "  Vestal"  had  a  quick  run  across 
the  Atlantic  till  within  about  five  days'  sail  of 
Halifax,  Nova  Scotia,  when  a  heavy  gale  sprang 
up,  which  tried  to  the  utmost  her  seaworthy 
qualities.  The  sloop  behaved  beautifully,  hove 
to,  and  rode  buoyantly  over  the  raging  seas. 
"Well  indeed  was  it  for  her  that  she  was  pro- 
perly handled,  for  the  gale  went  on  increasing 
till  the  oldest  seamen  on  board  declared  that 
they  had  never  met  with  such  another.  It  con- 
tinued for  a  week,  each  day  the  wind  blowing 
harder  and  harder,  or  if  there  was  a  lull  it 
seemed  to  come  only  that  the  gale  might,  gain 
greater  strength.  For  days  not  a  glimpse  of 
sun,  or  moon,  or  stars  had  been  obtained.  It 
was  the  morning  watch ;  the  gray  cold  dawn 
had  just  broke.  Pearce  was  on  deck,  when 
sweeping  his  eye  round  the  horizon  as  the  sloop 
rose  to  the  summit  of  a  sea  he  perceived  on  the 
lee  beam  the  hull  of  a  ship,  rising  and  sink- 


190  THE  boatswain's  SON. 


ing  amid  the  tumultuous  waters.  At  first  he 
thought  she  was  keel  up,  but  as  tjie  light  in- 
creased he  saw  that  she  was  a  large  ship  with 
the  stump  of  the  foremast  alone  remaining. 
That  she  was  in  a  bad  plight  was  very  clear. 
She  was  remarkably  low  in  the  water  he  fan- 
cied, and  who  could  say  how  long  even  she 
might  keep  afloat. 

The  captain,  being  summoned,  soon  came  on 
deck.  To  bear  away  for  the  stranger  would  be 
a  work  of  danger  to  the  "Vestal."  Still  who 
could  tell  how  many  human  beings  might  be  on 
t)oard  that  sinking  ship !  With  hatches  down 
and  men  lashed  to  the  helm,  the  captain  re- 
solved to  go  to  the  rescue. 

The  seas  came  roaring  up  with  furious  rage, 
as  the  sloop  flew  before  them,  some  breaking 
aboard ;  and  rounding  to  under  the  stern  of  the 
ship,  she  again  hove  to.  Many  people  appeared 
on  the  deck  of  the  stranger  who,  stretching  out 
their  arms,  implored  assistance.  How  was  it 
to  be  afforded  ?  Would  a  boat  live  in  such  a 
sea  ?  Pearce  Ripley  offered  to  make  the  expe- 
riment if  men  were  found  ready  to  go  with  him. 
There  was  no  want  of  volunteers.  A  boat  was 
lowered.  It  seemed  as  if  she  must  be  engulfed 
before  she  left  the  sloop's  side.    Ripley's  pro- 


THE  SHIPWRECK. 


191 


gress  was  watched  by  eager  eyes  from  both 
ships.  No^w  he  is  in  the  trough  of  the  sea,  a 
watery  mountain  about  to  overwhelm  him ;  now 
he  is  on  the  summit  surrounded  by  driving 
foam.  A  shout  is  raised  as  he  neared  the  sink- 
ing ship,  but  to  get  alongside  was  even  more 
dangerous  thaiT'the  passage  from  one  to  the 
other.  As  the  ship  rolled  and  her  deck  was 
exj3osed  to  view,  he  saw  that  there  were  women 
on  board^  and  other  people  besides  the  crew. 
Ropes  were  hove  to  him.  He  seized  one,  and 
sprang  up  the  side.  A  few  hurried  words  told 
him  what  had  occurred.  The  ship  was  convey- 
ing troops  and  stores  to  Halifax,  the  master  and 
first  mate  had  been  washed  overboard,  the  second 
lay  wounded  by  the  falling  of  a  spar.  Many 
of  the  crew  had  been  lost  with  the  captain. 
There  was  no  sea  officer  who  could  enforce  or- 
ders ;  the  men  were  mutinous.  Ripley  instantly 
assumed  the  command.  There  were  several  la- 
dies. "  They  must  first  be  placed  in  safety  be- 
fore a  man  enters  the  boat,"  he  cried  out,  pre- 
senting a  pistol  at  some  seamen  who  showed  an 
intention  of  leaping  into  her. 

Some  entreated  that  their  husbands  might  ac- 
company them.  "O  father,  father,  come  with 
me,"  exclaimed  a  fair  girl,  who  was  being  con- 


192 


THE  boatswain's  SOX. 


veyed  to  the  side  to  be  lowered  into  the  boat ; 
"  I  cannot,  I  will  not  leave  you."  She  looked 
towards  a  fine,  soldier-like  man,  who  stood  with 
several  officers  around  him.  "Impossible! 
Heaven  protect  you,  dearest.  Even  for  your 
sake  I  cannot  desert  my  post.  It  is  here  with 
my  men,"  was  the  answer. 

The  boat  had  already  nearly  as  many  persons 
in  her  as  it  would  be  safe  to  carry.  This  was 
no  time  for  delay.  Pearce  lifted  the  young  lady 
in  his  arms,  and  lowered  himself  with  her  into 
the  boat.  The  boat  returned  to  the  "  Vestal," 
and  all  those  who  had  been  rescued  were  put  on 
board.  The  young  ,lady  again  and  again  en- 
treated him  to  save  her  father.  Pearce  pro- 
mised to  make  every  effort  to  bring  off  the 
colonel.  "  But  unless  his  men  are  rescued,  I 
doubt  that  he  will  leave  the  ship,"  he  added,  as 
he  returned  to  his  boat. 

Two  other  boats  were  now  lowered,  but  it 
was  too  evident  that  they  could  only  save  a 
part  of  the  people  from  the  foundering  ship. 
Those  on  her  deck  were  now  seen  forming  a 
raft.  It  was  their  last  hope  of  life  should  the 
boats  not  take  them  off.  Though  several  of 
the  people  made  a  rush  to  the  side,  they  were 
driven  back  by  the  officers  and  soldiers  who  re- 


THE  SHIPWRECK. 


193 


mained  firm,  and  the  men  were  told  off  in  order 
to  allow  of  them  to  embark  as  arranged  by 
Pearce.  Twice  the  boat  returned  without  an 
accident  to  the  "Vestal."  The  young  lady 
cast  a  reproachful  look  at  Ripley,  when  she  saw 
that  her  father  was  not  among  the  saved.  "  He 
would  not  come,  but  I  will  make  another  effort," 
he  exclaimed,  as  he  prepared  once  more  to  leave 
the  corvette's  side.  Just  then  arose  the  fearful 
cry,  "  She  is  sinking !  she  is  sinking !" 

"  Oh,  save  him !  save  him !"  shrieked  the 
poor  girl  in  an  agony  of  terror,  stretching  out 
her  hands  towards  the  spot  where  she  fancied 
that  she  saw  her  beloved  father  struggling  in 
the  waves.  Pearce  and  his  brave  companions 
needed  not  such  an  appeal  to  make  them  use 
every  effort  to  reach  their  drowning  fellow-crea- 
tures. Some  had  leaped  on  the  half-finished 
raft  as  the  ship  sank  beneath  them,  but  many 
of  these  were  speedily  washed  off.  Others 
were  clinging  to  spars  and  oars.  Pearce  was 
soon  in  the  midst  of  the  hapless  beings,  many 
with  despair  on  their  countenances,  unable  to 
reach  the  boat,  sinking  as  he  neared  them.  He 
looked  round  for  the  colonel.  He  could  not 
distinguish  him  among  the  rest.  Three  people 
had  been  hauled  in,  when  as  the  boat  rose  to 


194 


THE  boatswain's  SON. 


the  summit  of  a  sea  he  saw  below  him  a  person 
clinging  to  a  spar.  A  hand  was  waved  towards 
him.  "Give  way,  lads,"  he  shouted,  and  in 
another  minute  he  had  the  satisfaction  of  haul- 
ing on  board  the  brave  officer  for  whom  he  was 
searching. 

The  other  boats  took  off  the  people  from  the 
raft.  He  picked  up  several  more,  and  returned 
in  safety  on  board.  The  meeting  of  the  father 
and  his  daughter  need  not  be  described.  They 
w^ere,  he  found,  a  colonel  and  Miss  Verner. 
He  was  struck  by  the  name  as  that  of  his  for- 
mer unamiable  messmate.  When  the  weather 
moderated,  and  the  colonel  was  sufficiently  re- 
covered to  appear  on  deck,  he  warmly  expressed 
his  gratitude  to  Pearce,  and  his  admiration  of 
the  gallantry  he  had  displayed.  His  daughter 
Alice  was  not  less  grateful. 

At  length  the  "Vestal"  dropped  her  anchor  in 
the  harbor  of  Halifax,  and  with  a  regret  which 
surprised  him,  Pearce  saw  the  passengers  depart 
for  the  shore. 

"  Remember,  my  dear  Mr.  Ripley,  Miss  Ver- 
ner and  I  shall  at  all  times  be  glad  to  see  you," 
said  Colonel  Verner  as  he  was  about  to  leave 
the  ship.  Alice  did  not  say  as  much  as  her 
father,  but  Pearce  believed  from  the  expression 


THE  SHIPWRECK. 


195 


of  her  countenance  that  she  willingly  seconded 
her  father's  invitation. 

The  next  day  a  special  invitation  to  the  go- 
vernor's table,  where  he  met  Colonel  and  Miss 
Verner,  and  where  all  the  gentlemen  from  the 
governor  downwards  took  especial  notice  of 
him,  considerably  altered  his  feelings.  This 
was  the  first  of  many  attentions  which  he  re- 
ceived from  the  military  officers  and  the  princi- 
pal inhabitants  of  Halifax.  His  time  on  shore 
was  indeed  fully  occupied  in  making  morning 
calls  and  in  attending  the  parties  to  which  he 
was  invited.  A  portion '  of  every  morning  he 
spent  in  the  society  of  Miss  Yerner.  It  was 
very  delightful,  and  he  felt  sure  that  he  was 
welcome. 

At  length  the  "Vestal"  was  suddenly  ordered 
to  sea.  Pearce  had  the  greatest  difficulty  in 
getting  on  shore  to  wish  his  friends  good-bye. 
Alice  turned  pale  when  he  told  her  that  the 
ship  was  to  sail  that  evening.  "  You  will  come 
back  here  surely,  Mr.  Ripley,"  she  said,  in  a 
trembling  voice ;  "you  have  been  every  thing 
to  us  since  that  awful  day  when  you  saved  our 
lives  from  the  sinking  ship ;  we  shall  miss  you, 
indeed  we  shall,  very  much." 

Pearce  could  not  frame  a  reply,  at  least,  satis- 


196  THE  boatswain's  son. 


factory  to  himself.  He  scarcely  knew  what  he 
said,  as  he  hurried  away.  The  words  might 
have  made  a  vainer  man  than  he  was  much  hap- 
pier than  they  did  him. 

The  "Vestal"  was  bound  for  the  West 
Indies.  She  cruised  for  some  time,  making 
several  rich  prizes,  which  she  sent  into  Port 
Royal,  Jamaica,  and  which  filled  the  purses  of 
her  officers  and  men  in  a  very  satisfactory  manner. 
Still,  no  honor  or  promotion  was  to  be  obtained 
by  the  capture  of  honest  merchantmen.  At 
length,  however,  there  appeared  a  chance  of  fall- 
ing in  with  an  antagonist  worthy  of  her.  One 
morning  at  dawn  a  stranger  was  discovered  on 
the  lee  beam.  The  "  Vestal  "  was  kept  away, 
and  all  sail  made  in  ,chase.  As  the  "  Vestal  " 
gained  on  the  chase,  she  was  discovered  to  be  a 
large  ship,  and  pronounced  to  be  flush-decked. 

"  Then  we'll  tackle  her ;  never  mind  how 
many  guns  she  carries,"  exclaimed  the  captain 
— a  sentiment  to  which  his  officers  and  men 
responded  heartily. 

The  chase  was  accordingly  continued,  and  as 
the  vessel  came  up  with  her  on  the  weather 
quarter,  it  was  seen  that  she  was  a  large  flush- 
decked  ship,  carrying  twenty-two  guns.  The 
ensign  of  France  flew  out  from  the  stranger's 


THE  SHIPWRECK. 


197 


peak,  and  was  saluted  by  a  shot  from  one  of  the 
corvette's  bow-guns.  The  battle  thus  began, 
the  "  Vestal  "  keeping  the  weather  gauge,  was 
continued  for  half  an  hour  with  great  fury,  till 
the  Frenchman's  fore-mast  went  by  the  boai'd. 
The  enemy's  guns  were  well  handled,  and  the 
corvette  began  to  suifer  accordingly.  The  first 
lieutenant  and  five  men  were  killed,  and 
the  captain,  a  midshipman,  and  several  men 
wounded.  The  captain  was  carried  below,  and 
the  command  devolved  on  Pearce.  The  young 
lieutenant's  heart  beat  high.  "  Bonham,"  he 
said,  addressing  his  friend  who  was  standing 
near  him,  "  we'll  take  that  ship,  or  go  down 
with  our  colors  flying."  The  breeze  which  had 
fiiUen  returned,  and  as  the  corvette  was  still 
under  perfect  command,  he  was  able  at  length 
to  obtain  a  position  by  which  he  could  pour 
several  raking  broadsides  into  the  bows  of  the 
enemy.  Her  main-top  mast  was  shot  away  ; 
her  mizen-mast  followed.  The  ensign  of 
France  was  again  hoisted,  but  did  not  long 
remain  flying.  Pearce  poured  in  another  broad- 
side, and  down  it  came,  the  cheers  of  the 
British  crew  giving  notice  of  what  had  occurred 
to  their  wounded  shipmates  below.  The  prize, 
which  proved  to  be  the  "  Desiree,"  had  lost  a 
17  * 


198 


THE  boatswain's  son. 


considerable  number  of  her  crew,  most  of  them 
killed  during  the  latter  part  of  the  action. 
Bonham  was  sent  on  board  to  take  command, 
and  in  two  days  the  "  Vestal "  and  her  prize 
entered  in  triumph  the  harbor  of  Port  Royal. 
Here  the  admiral  with  part  of  the  fleet  were  at 
anchor.  Pearce  went  on  board  the  flag-ship 
to  make  his  report.  He  was  warmly  received, 
and  highly  complimented  on  his  conduct.  The 
next  day  he  found  that  he  was  to  be  the  first 
lieutenant  of  the  corvette,  and  Bonham  received 
an  acting  order  as  second  lieutenant.  The 
"  Vestal  "  had  received  so  much  damage,  that 
she  was  obliged  to  refit  at  Port  Royal.  This 
took  several  weeks,  and  Captain  Gale  considered 
himself  sufficiently  recovered,  when  she  was 
ready,  to  go  to  sea  in  her.  Pearce  had,  how- 
ever, virtually  the  command.  Several  more 
prizes  were  taken.  "  That's  young  Ripley's 
doing,"  exclaimed  the  admiral ;  "  he  deserves 
his  promotion,  and  he  shall  have  it." 


CAPTAIN  RIPLEY  AND  ALICE  VERNER.  199 


CHAPTER  IV. 

CAPTAIN  EIPLEY  AND  ALICE  VERNER. 

Once  more  the  "  Vestal  "  was  at  anchor  in 
Port  Koyal  harbor.  In  vain  her  brave  captain 
had  striven  against  the  effects  of  his  wounds. 
He  must  return  home  if  he  would  save  his  life, 
he  was  told,  so  he  applied  to  be  superseded. 
The  admiral  came  on  board  the  "  Vestal "  to 
inspect  her.  The  next  day  he  sent  for  Ripley, 
and  put  a  paper  into  his  hand.  Pearce's  heart 
beat  quick  with  proud  satisfaction.  The  docu- 
ment was  an  order  to  take  the  acting  command 
of  the  corvette.  "  I  have  written  home  by  this 
post  to  ask  for  your  commission,  and  to  recom- 
mend that  you  should  be  confirmed  in  the  com- 
mand of  the  '  Vestal,'  "  added  the  admiral.  ^'I 
am  sure  that  you  will  take  care  she  does  as  good 
service  as  she  performed  under  Captain  Grale." 
Bonham,  who  had  received  his  commission  a 
few  months  before,  became  first  lieutenant,  and 
a  young  friend  of  the  admiral's  received  an  act- 


200 


THE  boatswain's  SON. 


ing  order  as  second  ;  so  that  the  united  ages  of 
the  three  principal  officers  of  the  ship  amounted 
to  little  more  than  fifty-five  years.  Old  heads 
were  then  worn  on  young  shoulders.  Many 
prizes  had  been  taken,  and  the  time  approached 
for  their  return  to  Port  Royal.  The  corvette 
lay  becalmed.  A  French  store-ship  was  ex- 
pected, which  had  been  separated  from  her  con- 
voy. The  "  Vestal "  lay  disguised,  as  was 
usual  in  those  days,  looking  very  unlike  the 
smart  sloop  she  was.  A  blue  line  was  seen  in 
the  horizon,  the  sign  of  an  approaching  breeze, 
and  in  the  midst  of  it  a  sail.  The  breeze 
brought  up  the  stranger,  a  fine  brig,  to  within 
about  a  mile,  when  it  died  away.  She  was  an 
armed  vessel,  and  showed  by  her  colors  that  she 
was  French.  Before  long,  two  boats  were  seen 
to  put  off  from  her.  Three  boats  were  instantly 
lowered  from  the  opposite  side  of  the  "Vestal," 
and  manned.  The  Frenchmen  pulled  rapidly 
on,  expecting  to  make  an  easy  prize  of  the 
"Vestal."  Their  look  of  consternation  w^as 
very  great  when  they  first  perceived  the  painted 
canvas  which  concealed  the  corvette's  guns. 
Pearce  had  carefully  watched  for  the  first  sign 
of  their  wavering,  and  now  ordered  the  three 
boats  to  make  chase.    The  Frenchmen  taken 


CAPTAIN  RIPLEY  AND  ALICE  VERNER.  201 

by  surprise,  made  but  a  slight  show  of  resis- 
tance, and  in  ten  minutes  the  whole  party  found 
themselves  prisoners  on  the  deck  of  the  cor- 
vette. The  "  Vestal "  was  now  towed  up 
towards  the  brig,  which  opened  her  fire  at  the 
boats,  but  this  did  not  deter  them  from  placing 
the  corvette  on  her  quarter,  when  a  few  rapidly 
delivered  and  almost  raking  broadsides  com- 
pelled her  to  haul  down  her  colors,  having  had 
the  chief  officers  left  on  board  and  ten  of  her 
crew  killed  or  wounded.  The  privateer,  which 
mounted  fourteen  guns,  was  on  her  way  to 
France,  having  a  large  amount  of  specie  and 
valuable  goods  on  board,  the  result  of  a  success- 
ful cruise. 

It  was  with  no  little  pride  that  Captain  Rip- 
ley returned  to  Port  Royal  from  his  first  cruise, 
with  the  fine  brig  in  company,  the  British  en- 
sign flying  over  that  of  France.  The  admiral 
congratulated  him  on  his  success,  and  at  the 
same  time  put  his  commission  and  appointment 
into  his  hand. 

"  You  must  be  ready  for  sea  again  very  soon 
though,"  said  the  admiral ;  "  I  have  dispatches 
to  send  to  Halifax,  and  unless  another  cruiser 
comes,  I  must  send  you." 

Pearce,  rather  to  the  admiral's  surprise,  re- 


202  THE  boatswain's  son. 


plied  with  animation,  that  he  should  be  ready 
to  sail  that  evening  if  required,  provided  he 
could  get  water,  fuel,  and  fresh  provisions  on 
board.  The  admiral  gave  him  permission  to 
make  everybody  exert  themselves. 

By  noon  the  next  day  the  young  commander 
had  got  his  ship  ready  for  sea,  and  receiving  his 
dispatches  with  a  joyous  heart,  he  shaped  a 
course  for  HaHfax.  A  bright  look-out  was 
kept,  but  on  this  occasion  it  was  to  avoid  strange 
sails.  He  was  only  to  fight  for  the  purpose  of 
escaping  capture.  Halifax  was  reached,  and 
Pearce  having  delivered  his  dispatches,  hurried 
up  to  Colonel  Verner's  house. 

Miss  Verner  was  at  home.  She  started,  and 
the  color  rose  to  her  cheeks  when  Captain  Rip- 
ley was  announced.  She  put  out  her  hand,  and 
did  not  withdraw  it,  for  Pearce  forgot  to  let 
it  go. 

"  Are  you  really  a  captain  already  ?"  she 
asked. 

"  Yes  ;  that  is  a  commander.  I  am  captain 
of  the  '  Vestal,' "  he  answered,  and  he  told  her 
how  Captain  Gale  had  been  compelled  to  go 
home,  and  that  he  had  been  appointed  in  his 
stead.   He  mentioned  also  the  number  of  prizes 


-::a 


CAPTAIN  RIPLEY  AND  ALICE  VERNER.  203 

lie  had  taken  —  a  matter  which  interested 
Colonel  Verner  more  than  it  did  her. 

Pearce's  stay  at  Halifax  was  likely  to  be 
short.  He  naturally  wished  to  spend  as  much 
of  his  time  as  possible  in  Alice  Verner's  society. 
She  invariably  received  him  so  frankly  and 
cordially  that  all  restraint  was  thrown  aside. 
He  felt  almost  sure  that  she  loved  him ;  so  he 
took  her  hand  and  told  her  how  much  he  loved 
her,  and  that  he  believed  he  had  made  enough 
prize  money  already  to  enable  her  to  live  as  she 
had  been  accustomed  to ;  that  he  hoped  to  make 
more,  and  that  he  had  good  reason  to  believe 
he  should  before  long  be  a  post  captain,  when 
he  should  be  her  father's  equal  in  rank.  Alice 
was  not  very  much  surprised  nor  agitated,  be- 
cause she  was  before  sure  that  he  loved  her. 
Still  it  w^as  very  pleasant  to  hear  him  say  so. 
While  seated  together,  and  interested  more  in 
themselves  than  in  the  w.orld  at  large,  the  door 
was  suddenly  opened,  and  Lieutenant  Harry 
Verner  w^as  announced. 

"Why,  Cousin  Harry,  where  have  you 
dropped  from?"  said  Alice,  rising  to  welcome 
him,  "I  did  not  even  know  that  you  were  a 
lieutenant.  You  have  grow  up  out  of  a  little 
midshipman  since  I  saw  you  last." 


204  THE  boatswain's  son. 


"  I've  dropped  from  His  Britannic  Majesty's 
Frigate  ^Hecate/  of  which  I  have  the  honor 
of  being  third  lieutenant,"  announced  the  young 
man,  looking  fixedly  at  Pearce  as  he  spoke. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon.  Captain  Ripley,"  said 
Alice,  recovering  herself  from  the  slight  con- 
fusion into  which  she  had  been  thrown;  "I 
should  have  introduced  my  cousin  to  you." 

"  Harry  Yerner  and  I  are  old  shipmates  I 
suspect,  unless  there  are  two  of  the  name  very 
much  like  each  other,"  said  Pearce,  rising  and 
putting  out  his  hand. 

"Yes,  as  midshipmen  we  were  together,  I 
believe,"  answered  Harry,  superciliously ;  "  but 
really  it  is  difficult  to  remember  all  one's  old 
shipmates." 

Pearce  under  some  circumstances  would  have 
been  inclined  to  laugh  at  Harry  Yerner's  im- 
pudence, but  it  was  very  evident  that  the  lieu- 
tenant wished  to  pick  a  quarrel  with '  him, 
which  was  by  all  means  to  be  avoided.  Alice 
had  thought  her  cousin  a  tiresome  boy ;  he  now 
appeared  to  have  grown  more  disagreeable  than 
before.  Colonel  Yerner  came  in  and  welcomed 
his  nephew,  who  was  the  only  son  of  his  elder 
brother ;  other  guests  arrived,  and  the  conver- 
sation became  general.    Harry  at  once  assumed 


CAPTAIN  RIPLEY  AND  ALICE  VERNER.  205 


to  be  the  person  of-  most  importance  in  the 
house,  and  though  he  was  laughing  and  talking 
with  every  one,  Alice  discovered that  he  was 
constantly  watching  her  and  Captain  Ripley 
whenever  they  spoke.  Captain  Ripley  had  to 
return  on  board.  He  never  slept  out  of  his 
ship  if  he  could  avoid  it. 

Harry  showed  no  intention  of  going  to  bed 
till  Pearce  had  taken  his  leave,  and  Alice  had 
retired.  He  then,  jumping  up  from  the  sofa  on 
whicli  he  had  thrown  himself,  exclaimed,  "  My 
dear  uncle,  where  did  you  pick  up  that  man  ?" 

"  \yhom  do  you  mean,  Harry  asked  the 
colonel,  rather  astonished  at  his  nephew's  some- 
what impertinent  manner. 

"  AYhy,  Captain  Ripley,  who  has  just  left," 
answered  the  lieutenant.  "  He  seems  as  much 
at  home  with  Alice  as  if  he  were  engaged  to 
her." 

"  Really,  Harry,  you  are  speaking  too  fast," 
said  the  colonel ;  "  Captain  Ripley  is  one  of  the 
finest  officers  in  the  navy,  and  having  rendered 
the  greatest  possible  service  to  my  daughter  and 
me,  I  feel  bound  to  treat  him  with  every  con- 
sideration and  kindness." 

"  Which  he  repays  by  asj)iring  to  my  cousin's 
hand,"  answered  Harry.    "  Were  he  a  man  of 

IS 


206  THE  boatswain's  son. 

family  I  should  say  nothing,  of  course ;  but  he 
is,  sir,  a  mere  adventurer.'' 

"  Though  .what  you  say  may  be  true,  Harry, 
that  cannot  detract  from  Captain  Bipley's  fine 
qualities  nor  relieve  me  of  the  obligations  I 
owe  him,"  he  observed  after  a  time.  "Of 
course,  were  he  to  dream  of  marrying  Alice, 
that  would  alter  the  case,  and  I  should  be  com- 
pelled to  put  a  stop  to  our  present  friendly  in- 
tercourse; but  I  do  not  believe  that  such  an 
idea  enters  his  head." 

"  Not  so  sure  of  that,"  said  Harry ;  "  Ripley 
was  always  very  determined  when  he  made 
up  his  mind  to  do  a  thing,  and  you  will  par- 
don me,  uncle,  but  the  way  in  which  he  was  * 
speaking  to  her  when  I  came  into  the  room 
was  anything  but  that  of  an  ordinary  acquaint- 
ance." 

"I'll  see  about  it,  I'll  see  about  it,"  ex- 
claimed the  colonel,  now  more  than  ever  an- 
noyed. 

Harry  Yerner  retired  to  rest  that  night  un- 
der the  comfortable  belief  that  he  had  revenged 
himself  on  the  man  whom  he  had  always  dis- 
liked, and  now  envied,  for  his  rapid  promotion 
and  success. 


RAPID  PROMOTION. 


20T 


CHAPTER  V. 

RAPID  PROMOTION. 

The  arrival  of  the  "Hecate"  relieved  the 
"Vestal,"  which  was  ordered  to  proceed  at 
once  to  sea.  Poor  Alice  received  Captain  Rip- 
ley with  marks  of  sorrow  in  her  countenance 
which  alarmed  him.  "  My  father  will  not  hear 
of  it,"  she  exclaimed,  giving  way  to  a  burst  of 
grief ;  "  but  I  told  him,  and  I  promise  you,  that 
I  will  marry  no  one  else." 

"  I  know,  I  feel,  and  I  am  sure  you  will  not, 
dearest,"  said  Pearce,  tenderly  gazing  at  her. 
"And  be  of  good  courage,  I  trust  yet  to  do 
deeds  and  to  gain  a  name  to  which  those  who 
now  scorn  me  for  my  humble  birth  may  be 
proud  to  ally  themselves." 

Before  night  the  corvette  was  far  away  from 
Halifax.  Pearce  was  not  exactly  unhappy,  but 
he  was  in  an  excellent  mood  for  undertaking 
any  daring  act  which  might  present  itself. 
Once  more  he  returned  to  Jamaica,  picking  up 


208 


THE  boatswain's  SON. 


a  few  prizes  on  the  way.  "Always  welcome, 
Captain  Ripley,"  said  the  admiral,  cordially 
greeting  Pearce  when  he  appeared  at  the  Penn 
to  report  himself.  "  You've  done  so  well  in  the 
sloop  that  we  must  get  you  into  a  small  frigate ; 
you'll  not  have  to  wait  long  for  a  vacancy,  I  dare 
say."  This  commendation  was  sufficient  to  re- 
store Pearce's  spirits.  Several  more  prizes  were 
taken,  and  a  considerable  amount  of  damage 
to  the  commerce  of  the  enemy;  but  still  the 
"  Vestal"  had  not  fallen  in  with  an  enemy  the 
conquest  of  whom  would  bring  glory  as  well  as 
profit.  Week  after  week  passed  away.  It  had 
been  blowing  hard.  The  wind  dropped  at  sun- 
set ;  the  night  was  very  dark  and  thick,  an  ob- 
ject could  scarcely  have  been  discerned  beyond 
the  bowsprit  end.  The  island  of  Deserade,  be- 
longing to  France,  bore  southeast  by  south,  six 
or  seven  leagues,  when,  as  day  broke  and  the 
light  increased,  a  ship  was  perceived  close  on 
the  weather-beam,  which  in  a  short  time  was 
made  out  to  be  an  enemy's  frigate.  The  breeze 
had  by  this  time  sprung  up  again  and  was  blow- 
ing fresh. 

"  We  may  fight  her  or  try  to  escape,"  said 
the  captain  to  Bonham,  eyeing  the  frigate  as  if 
he  would  rather  try  fighting  first. 


KAPID  PROMOTION. 


209 


"  I  should  say  that  the  odds  being  so  greatly 
against  us  we  ought  to  try  to  escape/'  answered 
the  fii'st  lieutenant. 

Sail  was  accordingly  made  to  the  north-west, 
but  no  sooner  had  she  shaped  a  course  tlian  the 
frigate  under  a  cloud  of  canvass  came  tearing 
aft^r  her  at  a  rate  which  proved  that  the  "  Ves- 
tal" had  not  a  chance  of  escaping.  The  crew 
showed  by  unmistakable  signs  that  they  ex- 
pected to  be  captured,  by  going  below  and  put- 
ting on  their  best  clothes.  Pearce  called  them 
aft.  "  Lads,  we  have  served  together  for  three 
years,  and  done  many  a  deed  to  be  proud  of. 
Do  not  let  the  Frenchmen  boast  that  they  took 
us  without  our  having  done  our  best  to  prevent 
them.  I  purpose  to  fight  that  frigate  if  you 
will  stand  by  me,  and  that  I  am  sure  you  will." 

"  Aye  ,  aye,  that  we  will,  and  would  were  she 
twice  as  big,  and  sink  at  our  guns  before  we 
strike,"  shouted  Dick  Rogers,  and  their  loud 
cheers  expressed  the  sentiments  of  the  rest.  The 
corvette  at  once  prepared  for  action,  and  as  soon 
as  all  was  ready  she  shortened  sail  to  allow  the 
frigate  to  come  up,  greatly  to  the  '  Frenchmen's 
surprise  probably.  The  latter  began  firing  as 
soon  as  her  guns  could  reach  the  corvette.  "  Let 
not  a  shot  be  returned  till  I  give  the  order, 
18  *  0 


210 


THE  boatswain's  SON. 


lady,"  cried  Ripley;  "we  must  throw  none 
away."  He  waited  till  his  carronades  would 
tell  with  effect.  "  Now  give  it  them,  lads,"  he 
shouted. 

The  heavy  shot  crashed  against  the  side  of  the 
frigate  in  a  way  which  astonished  the  French- 
men. With  wonderful  rapidity  the  guns  were 
run  in,  loaded,  and  again  sent  forth  their  death- 
dealing  shoAver  of  iron,  this  time  tearing  through 
the  frigate's  upper  bulwarks,  sweeping  across 
her  quarter-deck  and  wounding  her  masts. 

The  Frenchmen  had  just  fired  a  broadside 
which  had  killed  three  of  the  "  Yestal's  "  crew, 
knocked  one  of  her  boats  to  pieces,  and  done 
other  damage,  but  had  not  materially  injured 
her  running  rigging.  Firing  another  broadside 
in  return,  Pearce  saw  that  by  wearing  sharp 
round  he  could  pass  under  the  stern  of  the 
frigate,  and  at  the  same  time  bring  a  fresh 
broadside  to  bear  on  her.  The  manoeuvre  was 
rapidly  executed,  the  effect  was  very  great  on 
board  the  enemy.  The  crew  were  seen  to  be 
hurrying  to  and  fro  as  if  in  dread  of  some 
event  about  to  occur.  It  was  next  seen  that  all 
sail  was  being  made  on  the  frigate.  The  men 
had  deserted  their  guns.  The  British  seamen 
plied  the  enemy  with  their  carronades  with  still 


RAPID  PROMOTION. 


211 


greater  energy.  The  great  masses  of  iron  were 
hauled  in  and  out  as  if  they  had  been  made  of 
wood.  Their  only  fear  was  that  their  antagonist 
would  escape  them.  More  sail  was  made  on  the 
corvette  to  keep  up  with  him.  To  prevent  the 
corvette  from  following,  the  Frenchmen  again 
returned  to  their  guns,  and  the  frigate  suddenly 
hauling  up  let  fly  her  broadside. 

Pearce  saw  the  manoeuvre  about  to  be  exe- 
cuted, and  was  just  in  time  to  haul  up  also  to 
save  the  "  Vestal "  from  being  raked.  The 
frigate's  shot  accompanied  by  a  shower  of  mus- 
ketry, came  tearing  on  board.  The  last  broad- 
side from  the  frigate  told  with  fearful  effect 
on  the  corvette.  Her  spars  and  rigging  were 
much  cut  about ;  three  more  men  were  struck, 
and  the  brave  captain  was  seen  to  stagger  back. 
Had  not  Rogers  sprang  forward  and  caught  him 
in  his  arms  he  would  have  fallen  to  the  deck. 
He  was  speechless,  but  he  motioned  to  Bonham, 
who  ran  up  to  continue  the  fight.  When  an 
attempt  was  made  to  carry  him  below,  he  signi- 
fied that  he  would  remain  on  deck  till  the  bat- 
tle was  won.  The  surgeon  came  up  and  stanched 
the  blood  flowing  from  his  shoulder.  The 
nervous  system  had  received  a  violent  shock, 
but  he  could  not  tell  whether  the  wound  would 


212 


THE  boatswain's  SON. 


prove  mortal.  Still  the  battle  raged.  The 
French  were  again  seen  to  quit  their  guns. 
The  corvette  followed  up  her  success.  It  was 
observed  that  buckets  were  being  hauled  up 
through  the  ports,  the  frigate  must  be  onv  fire  ; 
her  foremast  fell,  the  corvette  ranged  up  along- 
side, the  French  ensign  was  still  flying.  Bon- 
ham  was  ordering  another  broadside  to  be 
poured  in,  when  down  came  the  enemy's  flag. 

"  Go  and  help  the  poor  fellows,"  were  the 
first  words  the  young  captain  spoke.  The  cor- 
vette's boats  which  could  swim  were  lowered 
and  armed  with  buckets,  the  English  seamen 
hurried  up  the  sides  of  their  late  opponent. 
The  fire  was  at  length  got  under,  very  much  by 
the  efforts  of  the  Englishmen,  who  had  to  hint 
to  the  French  that  if  they  did  not  exert  them- 
selves they  would  be  left  to  perish,  as  it  would 
be  impossible  to  get  them  all  on  board  the  cor- 
vette before  the  frigate  would  become  untenable. 

The  corvette  succeeded  in  carrying  her  prize 
to  Jamaica.  The  admiral  himself  came  on 
board  to  see  Ripley,  and  to  congratulate  him  on 
his  achievement.  "  Your  promotion  is  certain, 
Captain  Ripley,"  he  said  kindly;  "and  I  should 
think  his  Majesty,  when  he  hears  of  your  gal- 
lantry, won't  forget  to  give  a  touch  on  youj 


RAPID  PROMOTION. 


213 


shoulder  with  the  flat  of  his  sword.  You  will 
find  a  handle  to  your  name  convenient,  and  you 
deserve  it,  that  you  do,  my  lad." 

The  admiral's  kindness  contributed  much  to 
restore  Pearce  to  health.  While  he  remained 
on  shore  Bonham  received  an  acting  order  to 
take  command  of  the  "  Yestal."  Before  Pearce 
had  totally  recovered  he  received  his  post  rank 
with  a  complimentary  letter  on  his  gallantry. 
Bonham,  at  the  same  time,  found  that  he  was 
made  a  commander ;  the  "  Vestal,"  having  been 
upwards  of  four  years  in  commission,  was  or- 
dered home.  Captain  E,ipley  taking  a  passage  in 
her.  She  escaped  all  the  enemy's  cruisers,  and 
arrived  safely  in  Portsmouth  harbor.  She  was, 
however,  considered  fit  to  go  to  sea  again  after 
an  ordinary  repair,  and  was  recommissioned  by 
Captain  Bonham.  Pearce  was  sent  for  by  the 
First  Lord  of  the  Admiralty  to  attend  the 
King's  levee.  He  was  presented  to  his  Majesty, 
who  truly  loved  a  sailor,  and  knew  how  to  ap- 
preciate honor  and  valor.  On  kneeling  to  kiss 
his  sovereign's  hand  he  felt  a  touch  on  his 
shoulder,  and  with  astonishment,  gratitude,  and 
delight,  heard  the  King  say,  "  Rise,  Sir  Pearce 
Ripley ;  you  are  well  deserving  of  knight- 
hood." 


214  THE  BOATSWAIN'S  SON. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

CONCLUSION. 

Two  years  had  passed  by.  Colonel  Verner,  now 
a  general,  with  his  daughter,  had  returned  to 
England,  and  they  were  spending  some  w^eeks 
during  the  summer  at  the  house  of  a  friend. 
Alice  looked  thinner  and  paler  than  formerly, 
but  her  beauty  was  in  no  way  impaired,  and 
the  sweet  smile  which  lit  up  her  countenance 
was  still  there. 

The  admiral's  house  commanded  an  extensive 
view,  looking  across  to  Portsmouth,  down  the 
channel.  One  bright  morning  after  breakfast, 
the  admiral,  as  usual,  with  his  eye  at  the  tele- 
scope, was  watching  the  ever-varying  scene  on 
the  waters  before  him,  when  he*xclaimed,  "  Two 
frigates  standing  in,  and  one  is  French,  a  prize 
to  the  other.  To  my  eye  the  Frenchman  seems 
the  biggest  of  the  two ;  I  must  send  over  and 
learn  all  about  it."  He  rang  the  bell,  his  old 
coxswain  appeared.    "  Judson,  take  the  wherry 


CONCLUSION. 


215 


and  board  that  frigate,  and  give  my  compli- 
ments and  learn  the  particulars  of  the  action, 
and  if  her  captain  can  spare  time  I  shall  be 
very  glad  to  see  him.    Here,  give  this  note  if 

 "    The  admiral  spoke  a  few  words  in  an 

under  tone  heard  by  no  one  else. 

Judson  hurried  off.  There  was  a  fair  breeze. 
Alice  watched  the  progress  of  the  boat  with 
great  interest.  She  reached  the  English  frigate, 
remained  a  short  time,  and  was  speedily  on  her 
way  back.  Before  she  ha  1  long  left  the  frigate 
she  was  followed  by  another  boat  which  over- 
took her  as  she  reached  the  shore. 

A  short  time  afterwards,  Judson  appeared, 
and  put  a  card  into  his  master's  hand,  "Say 
that  I  shall  be  delighted  to  see  him  when  he 
can  come  up." 

"  What  about  the  action,  Judson  ?"  asked  the 
admiral. 

"  Just  the  finest,  sir,  that  has  been  fought 
during  the  war,"  answered  Judson.  "  He'll  be 
up  here  presently,  and  tell  you  more  about  it 
than  I  can." 

Scarcely  ten  minutes  had  passed  by,  when 
Judson  announced  "  Captain  Sir  Pearce  Eip- 
ley !"  The  admiral  received  the  young  captain 
with  every  mark  of  regard.    "  And  now  let 


21G 


THE  boatswain's  SON. 


me  introduce  you  to  my  guests,  General  and 
Miss  Verner ;  but,  by  the  by,  you  know  them, 
I  think." 

The  admiral  having  listened  to  an  account  of 
the  action,  dragged  off  the  general  to  see  some 
improvements  on  the  farm  ;  the  ladies  of  the 
family  left  the  room,  and  Pearce  Ripley  heard 
from  Alice's  own  lips  that  her  father  fully 
sanctioned  their  union.  He  claimed  a  sailor's 
privilege,  and  before  a  month  had  passed  their 
marriage  took  place. 

Bonham  obtained  his  post  rank,  and  though 
he  bad  not  the  talent  of  his  friend,  he  ever 
jDroved  himself  an  active  efficient  officer.  Har- 
ry Yerner  quitted  the  service,  finding  that,  not- 
withstanding his  connections,  his  merits  were 
not  appreciated,  and  that  he  was  not  likely  to 
obtain  his  promotion.  He  soon  afterwards 
broke  his  neck  out  hunting.  Sir  Pearce  Ripley 
in  due  course  became  an  admiral,  and  was  cre- 
ated a  baronet,  and  his  sons  entering  the  navy- 
rose  to  the  highest  rank  in  their  noble  profes- 
sion. 


THE  END. 


